Title: May Skywatch Highlights
Location: Hawaiian Islands
Date / Time: May 2009
Comments: Balmy spring nights provide wonderful opportunities for Stargazing in our magnificent Hawaiian skies. April 30th & May 1st provide the month's best views of MERCURY, which "pops out" of the Sun's glow, low in the West, approx. 30 minutes after sunset. The tiny innermost planet shines brightly (mag. 1.1) & appears close to the Pleiades star cluster (aka: the Seven Sisters), which begins to emerge from twilight soon after Mercury. Having reached it's "eastern elongation" (greatest angular distance from the Sun), Mercury will be now be heading back toward the Sun, & will reappear in the morning sky in June. You will find SATURN high in the South (nearly overhead), just after sunset, shining brighter than any of the stars in Leo, the constellation which currently hosts the ringed planet. Saturn appears South of the lion's hind quarters, slightly brighter than Regulus, the "heart" of the lion. Look thru any telescope to see Saturn's glorious rings. Enjoy viewing the Ringed Planet NOW, as the ring plane will start narrowing in June, & will soon be tilted edge-on to Earth. By late summer, Saturn will orbit to the far side of the Sun where it will not be visible from Earth. JUPITER blazes in the early morning sky this month, rising in the east around 2 AM at the beginning of May, and by midnight at months end. Jupiter appears in Capricornus, & shines far brighter than any other object in this dim region of the sky. Venus & Mars, rise within 20 minutes of each other in mid-May, joining Jupiter in the predawn sky. Hard to miss VENUS in the early morning, as it shines much brighter than any other object in the sky (except the Moon, of course). Venus rises from the east at around 4:15AM at the beginning of May, and by 3:30AM at months end. MARS is a bit more challenging to find, as a pale orange "dot," compared to brilliant Venus & Jupiter. Look for the Red Planet northeast of Venus, rising at around 4:30AM early in May, and by 4AM at the months end. On May 21, a waning crescent Moon stands 7 degrees to the upper left of Venus, while Mars appears 6 degrees directly below the Moon. THE SOUTHERN CROSS, in the constellation Crux, is currently viewable and is quite impressive. You'll need a cloudless view of the southern horizon. In early May, Crux rises in the southeast, tipped on its left side, at around 8 PM, & is high enough above the horizon to view by 9 PM. The Roman style "cross" asterism stands fully upright, due south, at 11:00 PM. At this time look for 2 bright stars, Alpha & Beta Centauri, "pointing" to it from the east. (Best viewing around 11PM in early May, 10PM at mid-month, & around 9PM at months end). Note that Hawaii is one of the few places where we can see all the way from the North Star, Polaris (Hokupa'a), to the Southern Cross, a Polynesian navigational "star line" called Ka Iwikuamo'o, "The Backbone." For a May sky map, visit Bishop Museum Planetarium www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium (bishopmuseum.org).

Maintained by Roz Reiner - Kauai, Hawaii

 

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