Skywatch Line for Friday, May 29, through Sunday, May 31, written by Sam Salem
This is Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Friday, May 29, through Sunday, May 31, written by Sam Salem.
On Friday, Sun rises at 5:21am and sets at 8:26pm; Moon sets at 3:50am and rises at 7:18pm.
On Friday, the bright waxing Moon will shine near Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion, and Zubenelgenubi, the brightest star in Libra the Scales. Zubenelgenubi isn’t as bright as Antares.
Full Moon occurs on Sunday morning at 4:45 am. This is a minimoon, the opposite of a supermoon. The Moon is just hours from apogee, the Moon’s farthest point from Earth, making this the smallest full Moon of the year. This full Moon carries the name Blue Moon. According to folklore, a Blue Moon can be the second full Moon of a month, or it can be the third of four full moons in a season. This is the second full Moon for the month of May. On Sunday evening, the waning Blue Moon will be near the bright red star Antares, Heart of the Scorpion in Scorpius.
Mercury gradually ascends higher in the sunset afterglow. It will become difficult to observe as it emerges low in the afterglow of sunset. Approximately 30 to 40 minutes after sunset, look west and trace the line from Jupiter through Venus diagonally downward nearly to the horizon. Mercury is currently bright, with a magnitude of approximately -1.
During twilight, Venus and Jupiter are visible in the western sky for approximately 40 minutes after the end of twilight. Venus, being lower and brighter, has a magnitude of -3.9, while Jupiter, which is a sixth as bright, has a magnitude of -1.9. Both celestial bodies are located in the constellation Gemini. To the upper right of Jupiter, spot Pollux and Castor. Pollux is slightly brighter than Castor. Observe the gradual approach of Venus and Jupiter each night. On Friday, the distance between them has narrowed to 11°. Their conjunction will occur on June 9th, at which point they will be 1.6° apart.
In the early hours of dawn, Mars and Saturn are positioned low in the eastern sky. Saturn, being the higher and brighter of the two celestial bodies, exhibits a magnitude of +0.9. It sits about 10 degrees above the horizon, almost due east, approximately one hour prior to sunrise. Mars is situated much lower and appears somewhat fainter, with a magnitude of +1.3. To locate Mars, observe it approximately two fists to the lower left of Saturn, gradually increasing the distance each morning. Use binoculars to enhance visibility.
At the end of twilight, watch the last star of the Summer Triangle, Altair, rising above the eastern horizon. The triangle’s lower-right corner is Altair. Its highest and brightest corner is Vega. The third star, Deneb, is the dimmest of the three and is located farther to the left of Vega.