May 5, 2024: Today is spring’s mid-point. The moon is near Mars and Saturn before sunrise. Bright stars are nearing their heliacal settings after sundown.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:41 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:54 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Spring’s Mid-Point
Today is spring’s mid-point at 6:58 a.m. CDT. The season is midway between the equinox and solstice. May Day celebrates this spot in the season.
Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24
Here is today’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
Moon Near Mars
This morning the crescent moon is east (to the left) of morning planets Mars and Saturn. At 45 minutes before sunup, the lunar crescent, 10% illuminated, is over 5° above the eastern horizon and 4.9° to Mars’ lower left.
During recent mornings the moon approached and passed Mars and Saturn. As the fastest-moving regular visitor to the skies of Earth, the lunar disk seems to jump about 13° to the east from night to night.
Look for earthshine on the lunar night portion between the moon’s cusps or horns. This is from sunlight that reflects from Earth’s features and softly lights the lunar night, similar to moonlight lighting up terrestrial landscapes.
Use a binocular to improve the earthshine view as well as to find Mars to the lunar orb’s upper right. They nicely fit into the same field of view.
Mars’ visibility is marginal without the binocular’s optical assist. Its reddish color mixes with twilight’s rosy hues. It becomes easier to see throughout the month. By the 29th, it rises before the beginning of twilight and appears higher in the sky, greatly improving its visibility.
Mars continues its eastward march, opening a wider gap with Saturn, over 16° to Mars’ upper right and almost 15° above the horizon. The Ringed Wonder is too low in the sky for an acceptable telescopic view. The air blurs and dims celestial objects at this altitude.
Mercury and Venus
Mercury nears its greatest elongation in five mornings. The morning appearance is disappointing for sky watchers in the northern hemisphere. This morning it rises 49 minutes before the sun.
Venus, heading toward a wide swing into the western evening sky, is still west of the sun, rising only 15 minutes before the central star.
Evening Sky
Goodbye, Bright Winter Stars!
Jupiter is in bright sunlight, setting only 47 minutes after the sun. After solar conjunction on the 18th, it reappears in the eastern morning sky next month.
The stars that shine brightly during winter evenings are departing the western sky. Their final evening appearance or heliacal setting depends on latitude and other factors such as brightness and color.
Less than 10° up in the west-southwest this evening, Sirius is easily visible, while Betelgeuse, Orion’s shoulder, and Aldebaran, Taurus’ eye, are not as bright and appear redder, disappear into evening twilight at slightly higher altitudes. Orion’s belt stars, less than 10° up at 45 minutes after sundown, fade from view at even higher altitudes.
From Chicago’s latitude, Sirius and Aldebaran disappear into twilight in six evenings, although the actual dates are affected by weather and obstructions at the horizon. Betelgeuse departs on the 18th. The theoretical dates can be calculated, but the actual evenings depend on varying factors.
Rigel, Orion’s knee, is no longer visible. It sets at sunset, known as the cosmic setting, on the 15th.
Look for the bright stars each clear evening. What is the last date you see them from your location?
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