LISTEN to this week’s Sky Report

This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the period between May 1 and May 31, 2024. Here are the events happening in the sky of southern California.

Mercury rises in the east at 5:07 a.m., PDT, on the 1^st, and the sun rises at 6:03 a.m., PDT, 56 minutes later. Mercury is 26-percent illuminated and 9.6 arcseconds wide. On the 31^st, Mercury rises in the east-northeast at 4:54 a.m., PDT, and the sun rises at 5:43 a.m., PDT, 49 minutes later. Mercury is 80-percent illuminated and 5.7 arcseconds wide. Do not observe any planet when it comes close to the sun, for the danger to the eyes is great.

Venus is close to the sun all month long and is unobservable. Do not observe any planet when it comes close to the sun, for the danger to the eyes is great.

Mars moves from Pisces the Fishes into Cetus the Sea Monster on the 9^th and then moves back into Pisces on the 13^th. On the 1^st, Mars rises in the east at 4:18 a.m., PDT. The planet is 94-percent illuminated and 4.7 arcseconds wide. On the 31^st, Mars rises in the east at 3:20 a.m., PDT, and is 92-percent illuminated and 5.0 arcseconds wide.

Jupiter is in Taurus the Bull.  On the 1^st, Jupiter sets in the west at 8:34 p.m., PDT, and the sun sets at 7:38 p.m., PDT, 56 minutes earlier. On the 8^th, the sun sets at 7:43 p.m., PDT, and Jupiter sets in the west-northwest at 8:15 p.m., PDT, 32 minutes later. Jupiter will be too close to the sun until the 31^st, when it rises in the east-northeast at 5:14 a.m., PDT, 29 minutes before the sun rises. Jupiter is 100-percent illuminated and 33 arcseconds wide. A telescope capable of magnification 50x will show the Red Spot, and the four bright Galilean moons also can be seen moving back and forth, across and behind Jupiter.

Saturn is in Aquarius the Water Bearer. On the 1^st, Saturn rises in the east at 3:44 a.m., PDT, and on the 31^st, the planet rises at 1:52 a.m., PDT. Saturn is 16 arcseconds wide. The rings and Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may be seen with a telescope capable of magnification 50x.

Uranus is in Aries the Ram. On the 1^st, Uranus rises in the east-northeast at 6:40 a.m., PDT, only 37 minutes after the sun. On the 31^st, Uranus rises at 4:48 a.m., PDT, 55 minutes before the sun rises. On the 15^th, Uranus is at Right Ascension 3^h 23^m 30^s, declination +18° 19ʹ 00ʺ. Uranus is 3.4 arcseconds wide, and a magnification of 200x is needed to see its disk.

Neptune is in the constellation Pisces the Fishes. On the 1^st, Neptune rises in the east at 4:14 a.m., PDT. On the 31^st, Neptune rises at 2:17 a.m., PDT. On the 15^th, Neptune is at Right Ascension 23^h 59^m 27^s, declination -1° 24ʹ 44ʺ. Neptune’s disk is 2.3 arcseconds wide, and a magnification of 200x is needed to see its disk.

The last quarter moon occurs on the 1^st, new moon on the 7^th, first quarter on the 15^th, full moon on the 23^rd, and last quarter again on the 30^th.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The eta Aquariid meteor shower will occur from the night of May 16 through May 27. The meteors come from comet Halley. They are named for the star in Aquarius the Water Bearer, from which they appear to originate. The shower is best seen from the southern hemisphere. From the northern hemisphere, it usually produces medium rates of 10 to 20 meteors per hour just before dawn. The meteors are swift with a high percentage of persistent trains but few fireballs. The peak occurs from the evening of the 4^th to the morning of the 5^th. On that night, the moon is a crescent, 14-percent illuminated, and after midnight it will not interfere.

Follow All Space Considered and Griffith Observatory on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.