The Night Sky This Month: May
Here are some of the things to see in May:
Messier 51
May Night Sky
Here are some of the stars, constellations and notable deep sky objects to observe in May:
Eyes Galaxies
The Eyes Galaxies, also known as Arp 120, are a pair of interacting galaxies located in the Virgo Cluster. The galaxies lie at an approximate distance of 52 million light years from Earth and have an apparent magnitude of 10. Their designations in the New General Catalogue are NGC 4435 and NGC 4438.
Great Diamond
The Great Diamond, or Diamond of Virgo, is a prominent spring asterism formed by the bright stars Cor Caroli in Canes Venatici constellation, Arcturus in Boötes, Spica in Virgo, and Denebola in Leo. The asterism shares the stars Arcturus and Spica with the Spring Triangle, an asterism formed by these two stars with Regulus, the … [Read more…]
Night Sky Highlights in May
Here are some of the things to see in May:
Highlights of the Night Sky in May
Here are some of the things to see in May:
Sunflower Galaxy – Messier 63
The Sunflower Galaxy, also known as Messier 63 (M63), is a bright spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici. The galaxy lies at a distance of 37 million light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 9.3. It has the designation NGC 5055 in the New General Catalogue.
Highlights of the May Sky
Here are some of the highlights of the night sky in May: 9 PM eastern sky – Saturn and Mars staying in the sky from nightfall until the early morning hours, with Saturn making its closest approach to Earth on May 10 9 PM western sky – Mercury above the horizon after sunset, Jupiter visible … [Read more…]
Whirlpool Galaxy – Messier 51
The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51 (M51) and NGC 5194, is a grand-design spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici. The galaxy appears face-on when seen from Earth. Its designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 5194. The galaxy lies about 23 million light years from Earth. It was named the Whirlpool because of … [Read more…]
Big Dipper
The Big Dipper is one of the most easily recognizable asterisms in the night sky, found in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The Big Dipper is well-known in many cultures and goes by many names, among them the Plough, the Great Wagon, Saptarishi, and the Saucepan. The asterism is particularly prominent in the … [Read more…]