Everything you always wanted to know about astronomy
May
By Bruce Dennis

The early-evening sky will be the place and time to view the spectacular dancing of the planets this month. In addition, on May 3rd - May 5th, we'll be treated to a magnificant meteor shower, the Eta Aquarids (little known, but quite spectacular), best seen 1-2 hours before sunrise. Mercury glides along the west-northwest horizon in the early part of May, just missing the crescent Moon and the Pleiades. Mars and Saturn will be up until midnight all month. Mars moves 'through' the Beehive Cluster on May 22nd. Jupiter will rise just before midnight during the later part of May, and Venus will be invisible all month since it's on the far side on the Sun.

The first phenomenon you'll notice in the early evening from May 6th - May 18th, is Mercury in the west-northwest. Depending on the date, it will be between an inch and the width of your hand (at the end of an outstretched arm) above the horizon about 3/4 hour after the Sun sets. By the 13th, it'll reach the highest point that it'll reach all month. After that, it'll rapidly get dimmer (it's only about 37% lit) until, by the month's end, it'll fade so much that it'll become invisible to our view. Although it hasn't been visited since 1975, the Messenger (a NASA satellite) Landed on its surface and took 1200 photographes. When these are analyzed, we'll know much more about a fellow planet, its past, and our future. I'm sure that you'll hear more about that later.

Mars will still be high in the West at sunset. By May 22nd and 23rd. it'll pass through the Beehive Cluster (M-44). If you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope, don't miss this sight. On May 25th, NASA's remote spacecraft, the Phoenix, will land on Mars' north polar region to analyze the the frozen soil, the existence of underground frozen water, and the makeup of the ice on the surface. All of these things will enable us to understand more about Mars' past and present composition of water and oxygen.

Saturn, returning to its regular motion (not retrograde) during the first week of May, can be seen high in the evening sky after the Sun sets. The rings will be open (tilted about 10 degrees) more than they will be until 2010. They will begin to loose their tilt continuously until December when the tilt is less than 1 degree. Look for the shadow of the planet on the rings. Of course, you'll need a telescope to witness this view. If you don't have one, or you don't have a friend who will lend you one, buy a telescope at a near-by hobbie store, Sears, K-mart, Walmart (watch out for the 'heavy' traffic in the future), or any of your favorite 'dime' stores. A good telescope can be more inexpensive than you think.

At dawn, Jupiter is high in the sky and is therefore best viewed. Remember that the higher a heavenly body is above the horizon, the less atmosphere you'd have to look through from the ground. The less atmosphere, the crisper and brighter will be the body. Jupiter will rise before midnight and get slightly brighter during the month. Be sure to look into a dark sky, away from any night lights, security lights, porch lights, or highways. Being in a rural area, we have no excuse if we don't find a dark area for our viewing. We have a large advantage over our urban friends who can't get away from the lights (unless they travel 20 or 30 miles). But be sure to avoid the bugs, snakes, and cows. Happy viewing!