Clear, Cold Star (and Planet) Gazing

Tonight will be the last early sunset until November as we move to Daylight Savings Time at 2am Sunday. With clear, dry, cold skies it will be a spectacular night for gazing at the universe around us. The moon won't be up until well after dark making Venus, Jupiter and Mars that much more dominant in the early evening sky. Venus and Jupiter continue to draw closer to one another mid-way up in the west at sunset and red-orange Mars outshines all the stars above the opposite, eastern horizon.
Orion still sits center stage as dusk in the south, surrounded by the bright winter hexagon of Sirius, Procyon, Castor and Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran and lastly the left knee of the Hunter, Rigel. A later evening check of the sky reveals the Spring constellations rising in the east (with the waning gibbous moon) lead by Leo and Virgo with bright Saturn in tow.
The Great Bear awakens in the northeast with his hindquarters, the Big Dipper, returning to take command of the northern sky. The Dipper also acts as a guide to the spring sky (more to come on that one).
BUT, YA GOTTA GET OUT AND LOOK!!!