Monthly Night Sky Report: May 2021

     April was a bit warmer with a few more clear nights as compared to March.  As mentioned in the midmonth post for April, I was finally able to take the telescope out for some observing.  It was under a light polluted sky, but any observing is better than no observing!  I wasn't able to take the telescope out any other time during April, but I hope that May will bring more opportunities.  

    For Utah, May will continue to bring warmer temperatures and a larger percentage of cloud free days.  This month will offer stargazers the chance to view the Eta Aquariid meteor shower and a  conjunction between Mercury and Venus.  Perhaps the most exciting astronomical event this month will be a total lunar eclipse near the end of the month.  

             

Mercury

   May will be the best month of 2021 to view Mercury in the evening sky.  Mercury can be found close to the western horizon as the month begins.  This tiny planet will climb higher in the sky until the 17th when it reaches greatest eastern elongation.  Four days prior, on the 13th, the Moon will join Mercury in the sky.  After the 17th, Mercury will begin to fall towards the Sun and the western horizon, leading up to its inferior conjunction with our star.  As Mercury falls closer to the Sun, Venus will pull away, climbing higher in the sky, until the two meet on the 28th.  Using a pair of binoculars or a telescope equipped with an eyepiece that will allow you to see the entirety of the Full Moon, you will be able to see these inner planets in a single field of view.      

  

Venus

  Venus can be found close to the western horizon after sunset during the first 2 weeks of May.  As such, it may be hard to spot in the twilight glow.  By the 12th, the 1% lit Moon can be found close by, but will likely be hard to see.  Like Mercury, Venus will move away from the Sun, climbing higher in the western sky as the month progresses, but unlike Mercury, Venus will continue this motion all month instead of reaching its greatest eastern elongation.  As mentioned, these two inner planets will appear close together on the 28th, creating a conjunction for us.  The pair will be so close that they can be viewed in a single field of view if using an eyepiece that can show you the entire Full Moon.      

    

Mars

    Mars will also be visible in the evening sky after sunset.  While Venus and Mercury will be found in Taurus, Mars can found in the next constellation to the east, Gemini.  Mars will again be a disappointing target for telescopic views as the orbits of Earth and Mars increase the distance between these planets.  It will still be an easy object to see with the unaided eye during May, but will continue to dim in our sky as it recedes.  The 16% lit Moon can be found close to the red planet on the 15th.  Mars will continue its eastward motion compared to the background stars monthlong, bringing it within 5° of the bright star, Pollux, which is a "close" 34 light years from our Sun.      

Jupiter

Saturn

    Jupiter is rising earlier each morning, positioning it higher in our sky, marking the beginning of this giant planets' observing season.  Jupiter still has a few more months before it reaches opposition, which is the time when many observers will be looking at this planet.  As the month begins, Jupiter will rise between 3:30 and 4:30 Utah time, depending on how close the observer is to the mountains.  May 4th will bring the 43% lit Moon within 5°.  Jupiter will be found in Aquarius, which is where the meteor shower this month will radiate from.  Jupiter will remain in this constellation nearly all year.  Don't forget that the Galilean Moons can easily be seen with a pair of binoculars and offer a changing view hourly.        

    Saturn will rise approximately 45 minutes before Jupiter, in the constellation of Capricornus.  The half lit Moon will be within 4° of the ringed world on May 3rd and again on May 30th.  The observing season for Saturn is also upon us, as it can be found high in the sky, with less atmospheric disturbance, in the early morning hours before sunrise.  Saturn will also reach opposition later this year, offering excellent views of its rings.     

   

Neptune

Uranus

    The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars.  Last month, Uranus could be seen in the western sky after sunset, until it reached conjunction with the Sun at the end of the month.  During May, Uranus can be found rising before the Sun but will likely be hard to spot in the morning glow.  As the month progresses, Uranus will rise earlier, but your best chance will be next month when it will be found further from the Sun from our vantage point.

    Neptune will lag behind Jupiter by about an hour this month.  This most distant planet will also be a hard target this month since it can be found rising shortly before the Sun.  The end of May will find this planet rising earlier, improving the chances of spotting it.  It will continue to rise earlier, making each morning better than the previous.  

Meteor Shower

   For the second month in a row, we will have a meteor shower to observe in May!  The Eta Aquariid shower will peak on the night of May 5th and morning of May 6th.  These meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Aquarius.  Bright Jupiter will be found in this same constellation, so use it as a guide if you don't know where to look.  If you can get away from all forms of light pollution and view during the early morning hours of May 6th, before the Moon rises, you can expect to see up to 50 meteors per hour.  A quarter lit Moon will rise a short 2 hours after Aquarius.

    On the morning of the 26th, we will be able to view a lunar eclipse, weather permitting.  Over Utah, the eclipse will begin at 2:47 in the morning when the shadow of the Earth begins to cross the surface of the Moon.  The maximum eclipse, when the Moon is completely immersed in Earth's shadow and appear red will occur at 5:18.  The Moon will slip below the horizon an hour later before the eclipse comes to an end, but at least we will be able to view totality!  If you are unable to watch the eclipse from beginning until moonset, I recommend watching around 5:00 so you can witness totality.  Since the Moon will be close to the horizon, I recommend finding a location prior to the eclipse with a clear view to the west.         

Spot Me....🕵️  

    I've had you try to spot quite a few different objects in the night sky, most of which require a telescope.  This month, I would you like you to try watching the lunar eclipse.  We won't have another total lunar eclipse over Utah until 2022, so take this opportunity to view this one on the morning of the 26th!  Remember to find a location that has a clear view to the west since the Moon will fall below the horizon before the eclipse is over. 

    I also encourage you to try to view the meteor shower this month.  While it may be difficult for many to view this shower during the peak date and time, don't forget that it can also be viewed before and after the peak date, which is the evening of the 5th and morning of the 6th.  This won't be the best shower of the year, but it is good to get into the habit of observing during warm weather!     

  

    As always, leave a comment to let me and others know what you see!

Monthly Breakdown

    May 03:  Last Quarter Moon 🌗

    May 03:  Moon passes within 4° of Saturn

    May 04:  Moon passes within 5°  of Jupiter

    May 05:  Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower peaks

    May 06:  Moon passes within 4° of Neptune

    May 11:  New Moon 🌑

    May 12:  Moon passes within 1° of Venus

    May 13:  Moon passes within 2° of Mercury

    May 16:  Moon passes within 2° of Mars

    May 17:  Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation

    May 19:  First Quarter Moon 🌓

    May 26:  Full Moon 🌕 

    May 26:  Total Lunar Eclipse:  Start @ 2:47, Peak @ 5:18

    May 29:  Mercury and Venus within 1°

    May 30:  Moon passes within 4° of Saturn

    

Think About This....💡

   

    You may recall the historic landing of Perseverance on Mars, the first of its kind to show an actual video of the landing instead of an animation.  This newest rover also included a small robotic drone or helicopter, named Ingenuity, designed to fly on Mars.  Ingenuity is the first craft to achieve controlled flight on another world.  Due to the thinner atmosphere and weaker gravitational pull on Mars, this drone had to be designed a bit differently than what we would use on Earth.  Ingenuity weighs about 4 pounds (half a gallon of water), has larger propeller blades, and the blades are designed to spin much faster than a typical drone.  Ingenuity, like many rovers and satellites before it, is solar powered.     

    As of this writing, Ingenuity has successfully flown 3 times, with each flight lasting longer and covering more distance than the one before.  If Ingenuity continues to be successful, future trips to Mars may include more crafts similar to this one.  You can stay up to date with Ingenuity by following a blog created by the flight team here!     

      

    Stay tuned for more exciting news and events!  

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos taken by Jeff Greenland.

    

Midmonth Check-In: April 2021 - Light Pollution

    April is half over and I've already been able to take the telescope out!  It was under a light polluted sky which obscured some objects, but it was still a worthwhile experience.  We were able to view many objects with the most notable being the Pleiades, Hyades, Orion Nebula, the Beehive Cluster, and the Double Cluster in Perseus.  I was also able to briefly look at the Sun using a solar filter that I've owned for quite some time but have not had the chance to use.  There were no visible sunspots, but our closest star did appear as a large orange disk in the field of view.  

    Still to come this month is the Full Moon on the 26th, which is also a Super Moon, meaning the Moon is slightly closer to the Earth than its average distance, which makes the Moon appear larger and brighter.  However, this small difference will not be noticeable to the human eye unless a typical full moon and a super moon were placed side by side.  Five days prior to the Full Moon, the Lyrid Meteor Shower will peak on the 21st.  While this shower won't compare to larger showers, it will be nice to see some shooting stars after our two month meteor drought.  

    As mentioned in a comment left earlier this month, I failed to mention that April 5th marked the beginning of International Dark Sky Week.  During this week, there should have been an attempt by everyone to limit their use of outdoor lighting to reduce light pollution.  Several organizations, such as the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), found at darksky.org, taught interested viewers all about light pollution.  This is the topic that I chose to do my senior research project on and something I am very passionate about.  I thought about sharing my hour-long presentation here, but realized it would be better if it was condensed down a bit. 

    Pollution is an unwanted byproduct that is often harmful to the environment.  We have heard of air pollution from cars and factories and water pollution from unwanted dumping of chemicals and garbage into rivers, lakes, and the oceans.  Light pollution is the unwanted and often unneeded excess light from misdirected and incorrectly installed light sources.

    From an early age, we've learned that air and water pollution are bad since we are breathing in the harmful particulates and possibly drinking water from contaminated sources.  Since there are many different species on Earth that need to breathe the air and drink water to survive, humans are not the only inhabitants on Earth that suffer from these forms of pollution.  For thousands of years, humans have thought that light was a source of security.  Early humans used fire to ward off predators while more modern humans use light to deter potential criminals.  Humans also use light to show off their property at night.  

    You might be asking yourself, "What makes light pollution bad?"  For astronomers, the immediate answer is that the excess and misdirected light is obscuring the night sky!  Wouldn't it be great if you could walk outside of your house and see the Milky Way band?!  Personally, I need to drive about an hour away from home to be able to view this faint feature of the night sky.  Many others would have to drive for several hours or even a few days to find a sky completely free of light pollution.  Aside from this inconvenience, light pollution can cause many species, including humans, to not sleep at night.  It also does not allow nocturnal species the chance to hunt at night.  Many different types of birds use the stars to migrate at night.  If they are unable to see the stars, they cannot migrate and often die.  The blue light from cell phones, TV's, and computer screens cause a decrease in melatonin production, which is the hormone that aids in sleep, and can cause eye strain which may require the need for glasses as we age.  Light pollution has also been linked to several forms of cancer.  Aside from this, excess light uses more energy, meaning that fossil fuels are being used at a higher than necessary rate, causing harm to the environment.    

    There are four main types of light pollution:  Skyglow, Glare, Clutter, and Trespass.  Skyglow is typically found around large cities and is light that is projected upwards and reflected back by aerosols in the atmosphere or light that is not properly shielded.  Glare is light that shines or is reflected directly into your eyes.  Clutter is the unnecessary grouping of light in a relatively small area. Light trespass is light shining where it is not intended, such as a neighbors light into your house.     

    Light pollution can be prevented by turning off unnecessary lights, using fixtures that direct the light downwards instead of upwards, and using a color of light that is more natural and not as bright.  A good color and brightness to use is that of a campfire and not the bright blue/white light from many modern light sources.    

    I challenge my readers to find ways to reduce light pollution in and around their own homes.  Consider using only a front or back porch light instead of lighting the whole property, or better yet, turn off all outside lights!  Encourage your friends, other family members that don't live with you, and even your neighbors to do the same.  There are many National Parks and several cities that have been designated as dark sky areas.  These places use less lighting, eye friendly lighting (campfire color and brightness), proper light fixtures that aim the light downward, or a combination of all three to earn the dark sky designation.  I encourage my readers to visit these places to support dark skies, get ideas for what they can do at home, and most of all, to see what a dark sky looks like!  If you are as passionate about the night sky as I am, then let's find ways to keep our skies light pollution free so that future generations can enjoy the wonders of the universe.  

Now get outside and look up!