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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the week ending Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Here is what’s happening in the skies of southern California:
The waning gibbous moon leaves the evening sky as the week progresses, and rises an average of 52 minutes later each successive night. Moonrise occurs at 7:58 p.m. on Wednesday the 15th, and not until 1:13 a.m. on the 21st. The moon also reaches last quarter phase on the 21st.
The innermost planet, Mercury, is unusually easy to find after sunset in the west-northwest sky. Look about 15 degrees above the horizon at 8:25 p.m., by which time Mercury should stand out as a fairly bright star-like object. Mercury becomes even easier to see as the month goes on.
Brilliant Jupiter, in Gemini the Twins, is about 35 degrees high in the west in evening twilight. Jupiter sets in the west-northwest at 11:40 p.m.
Orange planet Mars, in Virgo the Maiden, is easy to find in the southern sky as darkness falls. Mars crosses the meridian at 9:40 p.m. when it is 54 degrees high in the south. Although it is rapidly retreating from its close approach to earth last month, Mars will still show telescopic details through most astronomical telescopes for the next couple of weeks on nights when our air is stable.
Ringed planet Saturn, in Libra the Scales, is visible as a bright golden star in the southeast as darkness falls. Saturn is visible all night, and is highest in the south at about 12:20 a.m. Saturn, with its stunning ring system, is currently a target of Griffith Observatory’s telescopes.
The brightest planet, Venus, rises shortly before dawn, and can still be glimpsed at sunrise, 22 degrees high in the east. Telescopes and binoculars can be used to see the distant planet Uranus when it passes only 1½ degrees (three full-moon diameters) north of Venus on the morning of the 15th.
The International Space Station makes two early-morning passes that are visible high in the sky from Los Angeles this week. On Thursday the 15th, the ISS will emerge from earth’s shadow while 25 degrees high in the south-southwest at 4:36 a.m. A minute later, it will be at its highest, 53 degrees above the southeast horizon. The ISS can be followed until is reaches the northeast horizon at 4:40 a.m. On Sunday, May 18, the ISS emerges from shadow when already 66 degrees high in the north-northeast at 3:48 a.m., and can be followed for another three minutes as it descends to the northeast horizon.
The launch of the Orbcomm OG2 communication satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 V1.1 rocket, mentioned in last week’s Sky Report, was delayed due to a problem and has been rescheduled to launch on May 26.
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 our schedule. The next 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 7.
Updates to the Sky Report are now announced on Twitter.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.