Moon in Scorpio

If you have been up early the last couple mornings you may have seen a lovely waning crescent moon approach and slide through Scorpio, just above the red supergiant Antares this morning and near the stinger  tomorrow morning. New Moon is early Sunday morning and next week the waxing crescent will approach and hang out with Venus, now the bright spot high in the west at sunset. Venus moves higher and Jupiter approaches, almost south at sunset. Mars is rising earlier and its red color jumps out when you see it near the head of Virgo; compare it to not far off Betelgeuse and Mars wins the redness award. Saturn is not far behind Mars and also bright near not quite as bright Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. It's rings are tilted nicely for telescope viewing (or a camera on a tripod with 20x zoom).
The bright stars of winter dominate the sky after dark, get out and look, just bundle up.

Catch a Clear Sky When You Can

Clear nights are scattered about in a central Va. winter so catch a look when you can; tonight may cloud back up ahead of rain tomorrow with clear skies likely returning by week's end. The waning gibbous moon slides into Cancer tonight on its way to a Fri/Sat flyby of Mars which is rising earlier and earlier in the winter evenings. Jupiter dominates the SE sky after dark in Pisces and continues its march toward bright Venus in the SW, still in Capricorn (and near Neptune - with a close encounter with Uranus coming in February). The 3/4 moon will be near Saturn for late night viewers Monday.
Orion and the bright stars of winter make any clear night a good one to check out the winter sky. Bundle up and check it out.