Dave Mitsky
02-May-2005, 06:01 PM
May Calendar by Dave Mitsky
All times are UT (subtract 4 hours and when appropriate 1 calendar day for EDT)
5/1 May Day (Beltane), a cross-quarter day; the Galilean satellite Ganymede reappears from eclipse unusually close to the planet Jupiter at 3:21; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 6:24; Neptune is 5 degrees north of the Moon at 15:00
5/2 Mars is 3 degrees north of the Moon at 15:00
5/3 Uranus is 3 degrees north of the Moon at 6:00
5/4 Comet 9P/Tempel 1 has at its closest approach to Earth today; the peak of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower (10 to 20/hour) occurs at 23:00
5/5 Asteroid 3 Juno is 0.08 degree north of the Moon at 14:00 - an occultation is visible from the southeastern Pacific to southern Spain; minimum lunar libration of 4.7 degrees occurs at 23:00
5/6 Mercury is 3 degrees south of the Moon at 10:00
5/7 Asteroid 2 Pallas is stationary at 1:00
5/8 New Moon (lunation 1019) occurs at 8:45; asteroid 1 Ceres (magnitude 7.0) is at opposition at 18:00
5/11 Venus is at the ascending node; Mercury is at greatest heliocentric latitude south; asteroid 4 Vesta is in conjunction with the Sun at 3:00
5/12 The Galilean satellite Callisto is 5" from the south pole of Jupiter at 6:28; maximum lunar libration of 6.8 degrees occurs at 18:00
5/13 Saturn is 5 degrees south of the Moon at 13:00
5/14 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'32" from a distance of 404,600 kilometers, at 14:00; Mars is 1.2 degrees south of Uranus at 20:00
5/16 First Quarter Moon occurs at 8:57; a double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa and Io in that order) begins at 10:48
5/18 Asteroid 14 Irene (magnitude 9.0) is at opposition at 6:00; Venus is 6 degrees north of the first magnitude star Aldebaran at 21:00
5/19 Jupiter is 0.4 degree north of the Moon at 22:00 - an occultation is visible from the southern part of Central America to South Africa
5/20 Neptune is stationary
5/22 Asteroid 1 Ceres (magnitude 7.2) is 1' south of Delta Librae tonight; minimum lunar libration of 6.2 degrees occurs at 22:00
5/23 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa and Io) begins at 12:43; Full Moon, known as the Planting or Milk Moon, occurs at 20:18
5/24 The first magnitude star Antares is 0.8 degree south of the Moon at 8:00 - an occultation is visible in North America, Central America, and the northern portion of South America
5/26 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'48" from a distance of 364,242 kilometers, at 11:00
5/27 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Io and Europa) occurs between 1:40 and 2:45
5/28 Maximum lunar libration of 6.7 degrees occurs at 2:00; only one Galilean satellite (Callisto) is visible to Asian observers from 19:05 to 19:14; Neptune is 5 degrees north of the Moon at 21:00
5/30 Mercury is at the ascending node; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 11:47; Uranus is 3 degrees north of the Moon at 12:00; a double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa and Io) begins at 14:37
5/31 Comet 9P Tempel 1 lies 4.3' east of Delta Virginis at 8:00; Mars is 30' north of the Moon at 9:00 - an occultation is visible from the southern part of South America and central part of western Africa
The Moon occults the first magnitude star Antares on the morning of May 24 at 8:18:13 UT in Harrisburg and at 8:20:22 UT in Philadelphia. Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm
Mercury is most easily visible on the morning of May 6 when it shines at zero magnitude about 3 degrees to the lower right of a waning crescent Moon.
Venus (magnitude -3.8) begins a rather poor evening apparition for northern observers this month. The situation improves somewhat by the last day of May, when Venus is 13 degrees above the horizon in the west-northwest at sunset.
By the middle of May, Mars brightens to 0.5 magnitude and subtends 7". It lies a little more than one degree to the south of Uranus (magnitude 5.9) in the constellation of Aquarius on the morning of May 15.
Jupiter travels slowly westward through Virgo, passing just south of the third magnitude star Porrima (Gamma Virginis). For observers in the eastern United States, the Great Red Spot transits Jupiter's central meridian at the indicated UT times on the following dates: 5/1 at 7:25, May 2 at 3:16, May 3 at 9:03, May 4 at 4:54, May 5 at 00:46, May 6 at 6:33, May 7 at 2:24, May 8 at 8:11, May 9 at 4:02, May 10 at 9:49, May 11 at 5:40, May 12 at 1:32, May 13 at 7:19, May 14 at 3:10, May 15 at 8:57, May 16 at 4:48, May 17 at 00:40, May 18 at 6:27, May 19 at 2:18, May 20 at 8:05, May 21 at 3:57, May 22 at 9:44, May 23 at 5:35, May 24 at 1:26, May 25 at 7:14, May 26 at 3:05, May 27 at 8:52, May 28 at 4:43, May 29 at 00:35, May 30 at 6:22, and May 31 at 2:13.
Saturn (magnitude 0.2), in eastern Gemini, continues to sink in the western sky. It will be low in the west-northwest at evening twilight. Titan is due north of the planet on the nights of May 6 and May 22 and is due south of it on the nights of May 14 and May 30. The 8th magnitude moon is due west of Saturn on May 10 and May 26 and due east on May 1 and May 18. Titan passes tenth magnitude Iapetus on the nights of May 13 through May 15.
Uranus, Mars, and Lambda Aquarii (magnitude 3.7) form a triangle in the east-northeast for several mornings in mid-May.
In the early morning of May 1, Neptune (magnitude 7.9) lies 1.2 degrees north-northwest of Iota Capricorni (magnitude 4.3) and about 7 degrees to the north of the Last Quarter Moon.
Situated in Serpens Cauda, Pluto (magnitude 13.8) is only 0.6 degree northwest of Xi Serpentis on May 1. By May 31, this remote world is approximately twice as distant from the 3.5 magnitude star.
Dimming to ninth magnitude, Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) leaves Ursa Major and enters Canes Venatici during May. It lies a few degrees to the east of the ninth magnitude spiral galaxy M109 in Ursa Major at mid-month.
Comet 9P/Tempel 1 journeys southwestward through Virgo on a rendezvous with NASA's Deep Impact probe on July 4. This tenth magnitude periodic comet passes just to the south of two SBO galaxies, NGC 4754 and NGC 4762, on the nights of May 5 and May 6 and lies within 3 degrees of Epsilon Virgins (magnitude 2.8) until the middle of May.
During the first few days of the month, asteroid 1 Ceres passes north (within 1 degree) of Zubeneschamali (Beta Librae). On the night of May 18 the seventh magnitude minor planet is 0.3 degree north of Delta Librae.
Asteroid 2 Pallas shines at eighth magnitude as it loops to the north of 5 Comae Berenices.
Eighty binary and multiple stars for May: 1 Bootis, Struve 1782, Tau Bootis, Struve 1785, Struve 1812 (Bootes); 2 Canum Venaticorum, Struve 1624, Struve 1632, Struve 1642, Struve 1645, 7 Canum Venaticorum, Alpha Canum Venaticorum (Cor Caroli), h2639, Struve 1723, 17 Canum Venaticorum, Otto Struve 261, Struve 1730, Struve 1555, h1234, 25 Canum Venaticorum, Struve 1769, Struve 1783, h1244 (Canes Venatici); 2 Comae Berenices, Struve 1615, Otto Struve 245, Struve 1633, 12 Comae Berenices, Struve 1639, 24 Comae Berenices, Oto Struve 253, Struve 1678, 30 Comae Berenices, Struve 1684, Struve 1685, 35 Comae Berenices, Burnham 112, h220, Struve 1722, Beta Comae Berenices, Burnham 800, Otto Struve 266, Struve 1748 (Coma Berenices); h4481, h4489, Struve 1604, Delta Corvi, Burnham 28, h1218, Struve 1669 (Corvus); H N 69, h4556 (Hydra); Otto Struve 244, Struve 1600, Struve 1695, Zeta Ursae Majoris (Mizar), Struve 1770, Struve 1795, Struve 1831 (Ursa Major); Struve 1616, Struve 1627, 17 Virginis, Struve 1648, Struve 1658, Struve 1677, Struve 1682, Struve 1689, Struve 1690, 44 Virginis, Struve 1719, Theta Virginis, 54 Virginis, Struve 1738, Struve 1740, Struve 1751, 81 Virginis, Struve 1764, Struve 1775, 84 Virginis, Struve 1788 (Virgo)
Challenge binary star for May: 48 Virginis
One hundred and sixty-five deep-sky objects for May: NGC 5248 (Bootes); M3, M51, M63, M94, M106, NGC 4111, NGC 4138, NGC 4143, NGC 4151, NGC 4214, NGC 4217, NGC 4244, NGC 4346, NGC 4369, NGC 4449, NGC 4485, NGC 4490, NGC 4618, NGC 4631, NGC 4656, NGC 4868, NGC 5005, NGC 5033, NGC 5297, NGC 5353, NGC 5354, Up 1 (Canes Venatici); Mel 111, M53, M64, M85, M88, M91, M98, M99, M100, NGC 4064, NGC 4150, NGC 4203, NGC 4212, NGC 4251, NGC 4274, NGC 4278, NGC 4293, NGC 4298, NGC 4302, NGC 4314, NGC 4350, NGC 4414, NGC 4419, NGC 4448, NGC 4450, NGC 4459, NGC 4473, NGC 4474, NGC 4494, NGC 4559, NGC 4565, NGC 4651, NGC 4689, NGC 4710, NGC 4725, NGC 4874, NGC 5053 (Coma Berenices); NGC 4027, NGC 4038-9, NGC 4361 (Corvus); M68, M83, NGC 4105, NGC 4106, NGC 5061, NGC 5101, NGC 5135 (Hydra); M40, NGC 4036, NGC 4041, NGC 4051, NGC 4062, NGC 4085, NGC 4088, NGC 4096, NGC 4100, NGC 4144, NGC 4157, NGC 4605, NGC 5308, NGC 5322 (Ursa Major); M49, M58, M59, M60, M61, M84, M86, M87, M89, M90, M104, NGC 4030, NGC 4073, NGC 4168, NGC 4179, NGC 4206, NGC 4215, NGC 4216, NGC 4244, NGC 4235, NGC 4260, NGC 4261, NGC 4267, NGC 4281, NGC 4339, NGC 4343, NGC 4365, NGC 4371, NGC 4378, NGC 4380, NGC 4387, NGC 4388, NGC 4402, NGC 4429, NGC 4435, NGC 4438, NGC 4517, NGC 4526, NGC 4535, NGC 4536, NGC 4546, NGC 4550, NGC 4551, NGC 4567, NGC 4568, NGC 4570, NGC 4593, NGC 4596, NGC 4636, NGC 4638, NGC 4639, NGC 4643, NGC 4654, NGC 4666, NGC 4697, NGC 4698, NGC 4699, NGC 4753, NGC 4754, NGC 4760, NGC 4762, NGC 4866, NGC 4900, NGC 4958, NGC 5044, NGC 5054, NGC 5068, NGC 5077, NGC 5084, NGC 5087, NGC 5147, NGC 5170, NGC 5247, NGC 5363, NGC 5364 (Virgo)
Challenge deep-sky object for May: 3C 273 (Virgo)
All times are UT (subtract 4 hours and when appropriate 1 calendar day for EDT)
5/1 May Day (Beltane), a cross-quarter day; the Galilean satellite Ganymede reappears from eclipse unusually close to the planet Jupiter at 3:21; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 6:24; Neptune is 5 degrees north of the Moon at 15:00
5/2 Mars is 3 degrees north of the Moon at 15:00
5/3 Uranus is 3 degrees north of the Moon at 6:00
5/4 Comet 9P/Tempel 1 has at its closest approach to Earth today; the peak of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower (10 to 20/hour) occurs at 23:00
5/5 Asteroid 3 Juno is 0.08 degree north of the Moon at 14:00 - an occultation is visible from the southeastern Pacific to southern Spain; minimum lunar libration of 4.7 degrees occurs at 23:00
5/6 Mercury is 3 degrees south of the Moon at 10:00
5/7 Asteroid 2 Pallas is stationary at 1:00
5/8 New Moon (lunation 1019) occurs at 8:45; asteroid 1 Ceres (magnitude 7.0) is at opposition at 18:00
5/11 Venus is at the ascending node; Mercury is at greatest heliocentric latitude south; asteroid 4 Vesta is in conjunction with the Sun at 3:00
5/12 The Galilean satellite Callisto is 5" from the south pole of Jupiter at 6:28; maximum lunar libration of 6.8 degrees occurs at 18:00
5/13 Saturn is 5 degrees south of the Moon at 13:00
5/14 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'32" from a distance of 404,600 kilometers, at 14:00; Mars is 1.2 degrees south of Uranus at 20:00
5/16 First Quarter Moon occurs at 8:57; a double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa and Io in that order) begins at 10:48
5/18 Asteroid 14 Irene (magnitude 9.0) is at opposition at 6:00; Venus is 6 degrees north of the first magnitude star Aldebaran at 21:00
5/19 Jupiter is 0.4 degree north of the Moon at 22:00 - an occultation is visible from the southern part of Central America to South Africa
5/20 Neptune is stationary
5/22 Asteroid 1 Ceres (magnitude 7.2) is 1' south of Delta Librae tonight; minimum lunar libration of 6.2 degrees occurs at 22:00
5/23 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa and Io) begins at 12:43; Full Moon, known as the Planting or Milk Moon, occurs at 20:18
5/24 The first magnitude star Antares is 0.8 degree south of the Moon at 8:00 - an occultation is visible in North America, Central America, and the northern portion of South America
5/26 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'48" from a distance of 364,242 kilometers, at 11:00
5/27 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Io and Europa) occurs between 1:40 and 2:45
5/28 Maximum lunar libration of 6.7 degrees occurs at 2:00; only one Galilean satellite (Callisto) is visible to Asian observers from 19:05 to 19:14; Neptune is 5 degrees north of the Moon at 21:00
5/30 Mercury is at the ascending node; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 11:47; Uranus is 3 degrees north of the Moon at 12:00; a double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa and Io) begins at 14:37
5/31 Comet 9P Tempel 1 lies 4.3' east of Delta Virginis at 8:00; Mars is 30' north of the Moon at 9:00 - an occultation is visible from the southern part of South America and central part of western Africa
The Moon occults the first magnitude star Antares on the morning of May 24 at 8:18:13 UT in Harrisburg and at 8:20:22 UT in Philadelphia. Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm
Mercury is most easily visible on the morning of May 6 when it shines at zero magnitude about 3 degrees to the lower right of a waning crescent Moon.
Venus (magnitude -3.8) begins a rather poor evening apparition for northern observers this month. The situation improves somewhat by the last day of May, when Venus is 13 degrees above the horizon in the west-northwest at sunset.
By the middle of May, Mars brightens to 0.5 magnitude and subtends 7". It lies a little more than one degree to the south of Uranus (magnitude 5.9) in the constellation of Aquarius on the morning of May 15.
Jupiter travels slowly westward through Virgo, passing just south of the third magnitude star Porrima (Gamma Virginis). For observers in the eastern United States, the Great Red Spot transits Jupiter's central meridian at the indicated UT times on the following dates: 5/1 at 7:25, May 2 at 3:16, May 3 at 9:03, May 4 at 4:54, May 5 at 00:46, May 6 at 6:33, May 7 at 2:24, May 8 at 8:11, May 9 at 4:02, May 10 at 9:49, May 11 at 5:40, May 12 at 1:32, May 13 at 7:19, May 14 at 3:10, May 15 at 8:57, May 16 at 4:48, May 17 at 00:40, May 18 at 6:27, May 19 at 2:18, May 20 at 8:05, May 21 at 3:57, May 22 at 9:44, May 23 at 5:35, May 24 at 1:26, May 25 at 7:14, May 26 at 3:05, May 27 at 8:52, May 28 at 4:43, May 29 at 00:35, May 30 at 6:22, and May 31 at 2:13.
Saturn (magnitude 0.2), in eastern Gemini, continues to sink in the western sky. It will be low in the west-northwest at evening twilight. Titan is due north of the planet on the nights of May 6 and May 22 and is due south of it on the nights of May 14 and May 30. The 8th magnitude moon is due west of Saturn on May 10 and May 26 and due east on May 1 and May 18. Titan passes tenth magnitude Iapetus on the nights of May 13 through May 15.
Uranus, Mars, and Lambda Aquarii (magnitude 3.7) form a triangle in the east-northeast for several mornings in mid-May.
In the early morning of May 1, Neptune (magnitude 7.9) lies 1.2 degrees north-northwest of Iota Capricorni (magnitude 4.3) and about 7 degrees to the north of the Last Quarter Moon.
Situated in Serpens Cauda, Pluto (magnitude 13.8) is only 0.6 degree northwest of Xi Serpentis on May 1. By May 31, this remote world is approximately twice as distant from the 3.5 magnitude star.
Dimming to ninth magnitude, Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) leaves Ursa Major and enters Canes Venatici during May. It lies a few degrees to the east of the ninth magnitude spiral galaxy M109 in Ursa Major at mid-month.
Comet 9P/Tempel 1 journeys southwestward through Virgo on a rendezvous with NASA's Deep Impact probe on July 4. This tenth magnitude periodic comet passes just to the south of two SBO galaxies, NGC 4754 and NGC 4762, on the nights of May 5 and May 6 and lies within 3 degrees of Epsilon Virgins (magnitude 2.8) until the middle of May.
During the first few days of the month, asteroid 1 Ceres passes north (within 1 degree) of Zubeneschamali (Beta Librae). On the night of May 18 the seventh magnitude minor planet is 0.3 degree north of Delta Librae.
Asteroid 2 Pallas shines at eighth magnitude as it loops to the north of 5 Comae Berenices.
Eighty binary and multiple stars for May: 1 Bootis, Struve 1782, Tau Bootis, Struve 1785, Struve 1812 (Bootes); 2 Canum Venaticorum, Struve 1624, Struve 1632, Struve 1642, Struve 1645, 7 Canum Venaticorum, Alpha Canum Venaticorum (Cor Caroli), h2639, Struve 1723, 17 Canum Venaticorum, Otto Struve 261, Struve 1730, Struve 1555, h1234, 25 Canum Venaticorum, Struve 1769, Struve 1783, h1244 (Canes Venatici); 2 Comae Berenices, Struve 1615, Otto Struve 245, Struve 1633, 12 Comae Berenices, Struve 1639, 24 Comae Berenices, Oto Struve 253, Struve 1678, 30 Comae Berenices, Struve 1684, Struve 1685, 35 Comae Berenices, Burnham 112, h220, Struve 1722, Beta Comae Berenices, Burnham 800, Otto Struve 266, Struve 1748 (Coma Berenices); h4481, h4489, Struve 1604, Delta Corvi, Burnham 28, h1218, Struve 1669 (Corvus); H N 69, h4556 (Hydra); Otto Struve 244, Struve 1600, Struve 1695, Zeta Ursae Majoris (Mizar), Struve 1770, Struve 1795, Struve 1831 (Ursa Major); Struve 1616, Struve 1627, 17 Virginis, Struve 1648, Struve 1658, Struve 1677, Struve 1682, Struve 1689, Struve 1690, 44 Virginis, Struve 1719, Theta Virginis, 54 Virginis, Struve 1738, Struve 1740, Struve 1751, 81 Virginis, Struve 1764, Struve 1775, 84 Virginis, Struve 1788 (Virgo)
Challenge binary star for May: 48 Virginis
One hundred and sixty-five deep-sky objects for May: NGC 5248 (Bootes); M3, M51, M63, M94, M106, NGC 4111, NGC 4138, NGC 4143, NGC 4151, NGC 4214, NGC 4217, NGC 4244, NGC 4346, NGC 4369, NGC 4449, NGC 4485, NGC 4490, NGC 4618, NGC 4631, NGC 4656, NGC 4868, NGC 5005, NGC 5033, NGC 5297, NGC 5353, NGC 5354, Up 1 (Canes Venatici); Mel 111, M53, M64, M85, M88, M91, M98, M99, M100, NGC 4064, NGC 4150, NGC 4203, NGC 4212, NGC 4251, NGC 4274, NGC 4278, NGC 4293, NGC 4298, NGC 4302, NGC 4314, NGC 4350, NGC 4414, NGC 4419, NGC 4448, NGC 4450, NGC 4459, NGC 4473, NGC 4474, NGC 4494, NGC 4559, NGC 4565, NGC 4651, NGC 4689, NGC 4710, NGC 4725, NGC 4874, NGC 5053 (Coma Berenices); NGC 4027, NGC 4038-9, NGC 4361 (Corvus); M68, M83, NGC 4105, NGC 4106, NGC 5061, NGC 5101, NGC 5135 (Hydra); M40, NGC 4036, NGC 4041, NGC 4051, NGC 4062, NGC 4085, NGC 4088, NGC 4096, NGC 4100, NGC 4144, NGC 4157, NGC 4605, NGC 5308, NGC 5322 (Ursa Major); M49, M58, M59, M60, M61, M84, M86, M87, M89, M90, M104, NGC 4030, NGC 4073, NGC 4168, NGC 4179, NGC 4206, NGC 4215, NGC 4216, NGC 4244, NGC 4235, NGC 4260, NGC 4261, NGC 4267, NGC 4281, NGC 4339, NGC 4343, NGC 4365, NGC 4371, NGC 4378, NGC 4380, NGC 4387, NGC 4388, NGC 4402, NGC 4429, NGC 4435, NGC 4438, NGC 4517, NGC 4526, NGC 4535, NGC 4536, NGC 4546, NGC 4550, NGC 4551, NGC 4567, NGC 4568, NGC 4570, NGC 4593, NGC 4596, NGC 4636, NGC 4638, NGC 4639, NGC 4643, NGC 4654, NGC 4666, NGC 4697, NGC 4698, NGC 4699, NGC 4753, NGC 4754, NGC 4760, NGC 4762, NGC 4866, NGC 4900, NGC 4958, NGC 5044, NGC 5054, NGC 5068, NGC 5077, NGC 5084, NGC 5087, NGC 5147, NGC 5170, NGC 5247, NGC 5363, NGC 5364 (Virgo)
Challenge deep-sky object for May: 3C 273 (Virgo)