STAR WATCH for May & June, 2008

The WCSU Observatory and the Midtown Observatory are now closed for the summer season. They will reopen after the start of the WCSU Fall term. The fall schedule will be posted on this web site later in the summer.Thank you for your patronage! Celestial happenings will be updated on this site throughout the summer.

NIGHTLY CALENDAR for May & June, 2008

      * or !     Interesting to very interesting events
           !!     EXCEPTIONALLY interesting events (must-see!)
           E     Important geometrical or calendar events

May 19
FULL Flower MOON
20
The Moon reaches apogee at 406,403 km (252,527 miles) from Earth's center. It also passes very near the orange summer star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion.
22
 !!
 Look through binoculars toward Cancer the Crab (between Gemini and Leo) to see the planet MARS passing right through the Beehive star cluster (Messier 44).
27
Last Quarter Moon
June 3
New Moon. The Moon is also at perigee [357,251 km or 221,985 miles from Earth's center] 6 hours earlier, so large ocean tides are expected.
6
 !
 The waxing crescent Moon will pass (6/7) near the Beehive star cluster (Messier 44) in Cancer the Crab. (Use binoculars or a small telescope.)
7
 !!
 Tonight, look for the Moon very near the orange planet MARS. On the 8th, the Moon passes near the white star Regulus in Leo, and somewhat near the planet SATURN.
10
First Quarter Moon
16
The Moon reaches apogee at 406,228 km (252,418 miles) from Earth's center. Look late on the 16th to see the nearly-full Moon passing near the orange summer star Antares in Scorpius.
18
FULL Strawberry MOON
20
 E
 The summer solstice (Sun shining farthest north on Earth) occurs at 7:59 p.m.
26
Last Quarter Moon
30
 !!
 Look high in the west after sunset to see a close conjunction of orange MARS (magnitude +1.6) with the white star Regulus (magnitude +1.4) in Leo. The two objects come within 0.7 degree of each other, with yellowish SATURN about 5 degrees away.


PLANETARY INFORMATION

MERCURY —
 is too close to the Sun to be easily seen during the second half of May or the first three weeks of June, but it reappears before dawn low in the E sky toward the end of the month.
VENUS — ,lower and more difficult to see in SE predawn skies during May, is lost on the Sun's glare during all of June.
MARS —
, moving through Cancer in May and into Leo during June, is high in the early evening western sky but has faded significantly from its close approach in December, 2007. On June 30, look for Mars and the star Regulus to make a very close, striking pair, similar in brightness but noticeably different in color.  
JUPITER — is visible above the east-southeastern horizon in very late evening (mid-May through June). The waning gibbous Moon passes near Jupiter on the morning of May 24 and again on the morning of June 20. At apparent magnitude -2.5 (May) to -2.7 (June), Jupiter is now the brightest visible planet and will dominate the late evening summer sky.
SATURN — , in Leo near the star Regulus, is high in the SW sky after sunset and visible through late evening. Saturn's rings are only tilted 8 or 9 degrees to us now; they will be edge-on (i.e., disappear from easy view!) during 2009.

STAR WATCH is brought to you by WCSU Astronomy. Thanks for connecting! For more information, please call the Observatory line at (203) 837 - 8672
or Dr. Dennis Dawson at (203) 837 - 8671.