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Astro News
Friday, May 25
When the stars begin to come out in twilight at this time of year, Vega is at the same height in the northeast as Capella is in the northwest. These are the brightest stars in the May evening sky-along with Arcturus very high in the southeast. Saturday, May 26 With Bootes high overhead in the evening, now's a fine time to check in on the semiregular red variable star V Bootis using big binoculars or a small scope. Sunday, May 27 Look for Spica only about 2° from the waxing gibbous Moon (as seen from North America). Monday, May 28 The Big Dipper is very high overhead these evenings. When the stars come out it lies upside down almost horizontally (face north), then within two hours it twists around to hang straight down by its handle (face northwest). Tuesday, May 29 It's still spring, but the Summer Triangle is up in the east by about 11 p.m. daylight saving time. Its top star is Vega, which dominates the high eastern sky. Deneb is the brightest star to Vega's lower left (by 2 or 3 fist-widths at arm's length). Look even farther to Vega's lower right for Altair on the rise. Wednesday, May 30 Venus is 4° south (lower left) of Pollux. It's also less than 3/4° from fainter Kappa Geminorum (magnitude 3.6). The brightest asteroid, 4 Vesta, is at opposition. It's shining at an unusually bright magnitude 5.4 - distinctly visible to the unaided eye in a good sky - not far from Jupiter. This is the brightest that Vesta has become for 18 years. Thursday, May 31 Full Moon (exact at 9:04 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time). This is the second full Moon in May for the time zones of the Americas, so it's called a Blue Moon. In the time zones of Europe and Asia, June will be the month that gets two full Moons. Antares twinkles above the Moon during evening and Jupiter shines farther to its left. This Week's Planet Roundup Mercury (about magnitude 0) is usually elusive, but right now it's having a fine apparition in evening twilight. Don't miss it! Look for Mercury low in the west-northwest about an hour after sunset, far to the lower right of bright Venus. Venus (magnitude -4.3, in Gemini) is the brilliant "Evening Star" in the west during and after twilight. Pollux and Castor are lined up above it at the beginning of the week, and to its right by June 2nd. In a telescope, Venus appears just about perfectly half-lit. Mars (magnitude +0.9, in Pisces) is gradually getting higher in the east before and during dawn. It's the orange-yellow dot below the Great Square of Pegasus. Jupiter (magnitude -2.6, in southern Ophiuchus) rises in the east-southeast during twilight and dominates the south by 1 a.m. daylight saving time. Antares, less bright, sparkles 8° to its right during the evening, and lower right after midnight. Jupiter will be at opposition on June 5th. Saturn (magnitude +0.5, in Leo) shines high in the west during evening, far upper left of bright Venus (by 30° to 23° this week). Watch these two closing in on each other. They're on their way to a close conjunction at the end of June. Regulus, less bright at magnitude +1.4, is 10° or 11° to Saturn's upper left. North of Regulus is 2nd-magnitude Algieba (Gamma Leonis), a fine telescopic double star. Uranus (magnitude 6, in Aquarius) is in the east-southeast before dawn. Neptune (magnitude 8, in Capricornus) is higher in the southeast before dawn. Pluto (magnitude 14, in northwestern Sagittarius) is not far from Jupiter in the south during early morning hours. The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond Telescope Buyers FAQ http://home.inreach.com/starlord Sidewalk Astronomy www.sidewalkastronomy.info AD World http://www.adworld.netfirms.com/ |
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