FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6

■ Algol should be at its minimum brightness, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for about two hours centered on 10:34 p.m. EST. Comparison-star chart .

■ As dawn begins to brighten on Saturday morning the 7th, look low in the east-southeast for Venus. Within 2° of it (depending on your location) are shy Spica and the very thin waning crescent Moon, just two days from new, more or less as shown below. Bring binoculars to see through the growing light of the approaching day.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7

■ After dark this week Capella shines well up in the northeast, and the Pleiades are well up three fists to Capella's right. As evening grows later, you'll find orange Aldebaran climbing up below the Pleiades.

And by about 10 p.m. (depending on your location), Orion will be clearing the eastern horizon below Aldebaran.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8

■ As soon as the stars come out, the Great Square of Pegasus still balances on its corner, more or less, high in the southeast.…