Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, May 19th and 20th, written by Joe Slomka
This is the Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, May 19th and 20th. Written by Joe Slomka
The Sun sets at 8:16 PM; night falls at 10:19. Dawn breaks at 3:25 AM and ends with sunrise at 5:28.
Monday reveals the Moon in Capricornus rising at 1:33 AM and setting at 11:20 AM. Tuesday’s Last Quarter Moon moved to Aquarius, with the Moon rising at 1:50 AM and setting at 12:33 PM. The Moon is seen only during daytime; it is visible on Wednesday at 2:22 AM when it appears 9° high in the East, 31 arc-minutes, 52% illuminated and lost at Sunrise.
4Vesta is going strong after all these months. It rises 6:51 PM, highest at 12:43 AM and sets at 6:03 AM, 6th magnitude, appears 99% illuminated and 22 degrees high at 9 PM; Vesta lingers all night and by 4:44 AM is 17° high in the Southwestern Dawn. Comet Swan is vanished in the Sun’s glare.
Jupiter is close to the western horizon, shines with 1st magnitude, appears 33 arc-seconds, 12° at 9 PM and sets at 10:15 PM; Monday begins its trek at 11:19 PM and ends at 2:08 AM, followed by the Great Red Spot (a giant storm) at 11:40 PM.
Mars slowly fades in Cancer, rises at 12:02 PM, shines with 1st magnitude, 5 arc-seconds, highest at 6:14 PM, 41° at 9 PM, 90% illuminated and sets at 2:29 AM.
Venus, Saturn and Neptune share Pisces. Venus rises first, close to the eastern horizon, rises at 4:37 AM, blazes with minus 4th magnitude, 27 arc-seconds, highest at 10:56 AM, 12° at 4:45 AM and sets at 4:53 PM.
Saturn and Neptune huddle together. Saturn rises at 3:11 AM, 1st magnitude, 16 arc-seconds, highest at 9:02 AM, 17° high at 4:45 AM and sets at 2:53 PM. Neptune brings up the rear, rises at 3:12 AM, 2nd magnitude, highest at 9:08 AM, 17° and sets at 3:25.
One of the astronomical clichés is that Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has been continuously observed for three centuries. While true, the Spot has been known to change. For example, it is not exactly red now, but closer to a rust color; new astronomers may have difficulty finding it. When measured in the 1800’s, the storm was 25,000 miles wide. In 1979, the Voyager spacecraft imaged it at 15,534 miles. In 1995, British astronomer John Rogers, in collaboration with professional and amateur astronomers, measured it at about 12,500 miles. He also reported that wind speeds were increasing. The Great Red spot now has 300 miles-per-hour winds, up from 250. Like an ice skater, it spins faster as it gets smaller. Hubble Telescope images now reveal that it is about 10,253 miles (16,500km) wide. Rogers speculates that, by 2050, it may be known as the Great Red Circle. The cause of this shrinkage is unknown. Should the Great Red Spot disappear, astronomers are uncertain what would happen. It could reappear, or never return. Remember, this is a weather system, which, like all storms eventually end.
Clear Skies Joe Slomka