That was going to be my first answer, but the OP ruined it by providing too much detail.
My immediate thought on seeing the thread title is “Jupiter”. At the moment, for most of the night, it’s by far the most obvious “bright object in the sky” in the northern hemisphere.
Except for right after sunset! ![]()
I’m not so sure about that… You might want to look a few degrees to the right!![]()
And it’s getting bigger and bigger every night! :eek: