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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through May 23rd, 2019. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
The planet Mars is visible low in the western sky as the sky darkens. It is just above the midpoint of the bright star Betelgeuse, in the constellation Orion the Hunter, and the even brighter star Capella, in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. Mars now is only slightly brighter than the brightest stars in the Big Dipper, and it is now nearly 100 times fainter than it was when it was closest to Earth last July. It is now on the far side of the sun, 222 million miles away. In July, by contrast, it was opposite the sun in the sky, and only 35 million miles away.
The moon will light nearly all of the nighttime hours. Its phase changes from waxing gibbous to full on the 18th. On the following nights it is waning gibbous, and by the 19th it begins to rise after night begins. It will rise at 8:56 p.m. on the 19th and at 11:40 p.m. on the 22nd.
The planet Jupiter is the brilliant object visible low in the southeast sky by 11:30 p.m. Jupiter is highest in the sky at 2:30 a.m. when it crosses the southern meridian, before it moves into the southwest sky at dawn. The planet’s colorful oval storm, the Great Red Spot, will face telescope-equipped observers on the mornings of the 18th, 21st and 23rd.
Saturn retraces Jupiter’s path about an hour after the brighter planet. Saturn appears as a bright golden star in the constellation Ophiuchus the Snake Bearer. The planet, the rings of which are an astounding sight through telescopes, crosses the meridian in the south at dawn.
Venus is also on the far side of its orbit from the earth. You will need an unobstructed view to the east to see Venus very close to the horizon at 5:20 a.m., about half an hour before sunrise.
The International Space Station will pass directly over Los Angeles on the morning of the 18th. It will cross the sky from northwest to southeast between 4:54 and 5:01 a.m., and it will be 256 miles above Los Angeles a few seconds before 4:48 a.m. The giant orbiting research station will make another fine showing from Los Angeles on the evening of the 19th, when it will be visible between 8:41 and 8:48 p.m., and will be 66 degrees above the northwest horizon just before 8:45 p.m.
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, May 18th between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. On the same day, at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Laura Danly, Dr. David Reitzel, and I will tell the story of the Apollo 10 moon mission on the 50th anniversary of its launch.
Follow The Sky Report, All Space Considered, and Griffith Observatory on Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.