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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through May 25th, 2016. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
The planet Mars reaches opposition in the constellation Libra the Scales on the night of May 21st. Opposition means that Mars, the next planet outside the Earth’s orbit, will be opposite the sun, and it can be seen all night. Because of the shape and orientation of the orbit of Mars, Mars will actually reach its closest point to earth on May 30th. It will then be 46.8 million miles away, the closest the planet has been to us since 2007. Look for the bright orange hued planet low in the east-southeast during evening twilight, 35 degrees above the southern horizon at 1:00 a.m., and to the west-southwest where it will set at dawn. Through a telescope, Mars presents a disk that measures 19 arcseconds wide. While that is large for Mars, it is only about equal in apparent size to the globe of the distant planet Saturn. Mars will be well positioned for public observation through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes starting early in June.
The golden planet Saturn, in the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, is located to the east of Mars. Saturn follows Mars through the sky by about an hour, and appears highest in the south at 2:00 a.m. Saturn, now 840 million miles away, will reach opposition in early June, and will join the repertoire of public objects through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes shortly afterwards.
Jupiter, in the constellation Leo the Lion, is brilliant and high in the southern sky after sunset, and can be seen until it sets in the west at about 2:00 a.m. Jupiter is currently 480 million miles away, a little less than halfway to Saturn, but more than 10 times farther away than Mars! West coast observers observing Jupiter through a telescope at 9:00 p.m., will be able to see the planet’s famous oval storm, the great red spot, on Wednesday the 18th, Friday the 20th, Monday the 23rd, and Tuesday the 24th. Jupiter is still the planet best positioned for public viewing through the telescopes at Griffith Observatory.
The night sky is bright with moonlight between the 18th and 25th. Over this period, the moon’s phase changes from waxing gibbous to waning gibbous. The moon reaches its opposition, and is therefore full, on the 21st, the same night that Mars is at opposition. As a result, the moon will appear close to Mars in the sky all night long on that date.
Free views of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday, before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for the schedule. The next free public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, June 11th.
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From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.