No, that picture at left is not my television screen. (You can tell because it's not staticky.) It's a picture of the night sky.

You'll have to trust me when I tell you the night sky looked a lot more impressive in person last night than this picture indicates.

But I was out after dark last night because I had to run to CVS - I was out of deodorant, if you're curious.

And as I drove back I saw a bright spot in the sky - and I knew it had to be something that I've never seen before.

When I got home I looked up what was happening in the southwest sky Thursday night.

I'm not sure that I found out for sure what I saw - though I did find out some interesting information.

I think what I saw was probably Venus - and there was apparently a fainter Saturn visible...though there were a lot of stars visible Thursday night and I don't know if I would have known Saturn from a star if I saw it.

I found out that Cassiopeia, which Sara Bareilles wrote a song about on her new album, is actually a real star...with a 'W' shape. (I didn't think it was a real star.)

I found out that there is a lot going on in the sky at night - a space that I don't usually pay a lot of attention to.

But maybe I'll start.