I invite astrofags to shoot the bull in this thread.
Specifically, I have been seeing something bright as bright can be in the southwestern sky in the first half of the evening. Northern California if that matters. So, what am I looking at? I imagine, "the star of Bethlehem" is whatever I see. If that was ever really a thing.

Bonus question: I noticed that a waxing moon has the bright side on the right and a waning moon has the bright on left. Wherever I have been. Is this the same if I get below the equator?