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…]
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 its … [Read more…]
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…]
Here are some of the highlights of the sky in May: 9 PM – Jupiter rises in the western sky 9 PM – Mercury, Jupiter and Venus in the western sky toward the end of the month 9:30 PM – Saturn rising in the southeastern sky just after sunset and moving to the west before … [Read more…]