USPS Star Calendar for 25-31 May 18 May 2014
Posted by amedalen in May 2014.Tags: greatest elongation, Jupiter, Mercury, Pollux, Venus
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25 May The waning crescent moon rises less than two hours before sunrise, followed a few minutes later by Venus. Look low in the east before first light to see Venus less than 1 finger-width below the moon. Mercury is at its greatest elongation east, 22.7 degrees from the sun. That means this is our best opportunity to catch a glimpse of Mercury, low in the west, just after sunset.
26 May The moon is closer to the horizon this morning, 1 fist-width to Venus’ lower left. Less than 10 percent of the moon’s surface is illuminated.
30 May Low in the west at dusk, magnitude 1.2 Mercury is 4 finger-widths to the moon’s right. They set less than 2 hours after the sun.
31 May The moon is a little higher this evening but still sets a little more than 2 hours after the sun. Magnitude -1.9 Jupiter is 3 finger-widths to the upper right, and magnitude 1.2 Pollux lies beyond Jupiter.
USPS Star Calendar for 18-24 May 11 May 2014
Posted by amedalen in May 2014.Tags: Altair, Comet 209P/LINEAR, Fomalhaut, meteor shower, perigee
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18 May The moon is at perigee, 57.56 Earth-radii (367,000 kilometers) away.
20 May In the south before dawn, the moon is between magnitude 0.9 Altair, 3 fist-widths to the upper right, and magnitude 1.3 Fomalhaut, the same distance to the lower left.
24 May We may see a good meteor shower from Comet 209P/LINEAR in the early morning hours.
USPS Star Calendar for 11-17 May 4 May 2014
Posted by amedalen in May 2014.Tags: Antares, full moon, Mars, Sagittarius, Saturn, Scorpius, Spica, Teapot
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11 May Low in the east as the sky darkens, the moon lies between Mars, 4 finger-widths to the upper right, and Spica, 3 finger-widths to the lower left.
12 May The moon passes beyond Spica this evening. Magnitude 0.1 Saturn is nearly 2 fist-widths to the lower left of the moon.
13 May Low in the west early this evening, Saturn is only 2 finger-widths to the nearly full moon’s lower left.
14 May The full moon rises at sunset. Saturn is less than 1 fist-width to its upper right.
15 May Low in the southeast before first light, Saturn is 1 fist-width to the moon’s lower right and Antares, the heart of Scorpius, is about 4 finger-widths to the lower left, just above the horizon.
17 May Low in the southwest before first light, the moon is just above the Teapot constellation, Sagittarius. The moon sets less than 3 hours after sunrise.
