2024, May 16: May Evening Gibbous Moon

May 16, 2023: The evening gibbous moon is in the southwest after sundown near Leo’s stars.  Two morning planets are in the eastern sky before sunrise.

November 27, 2020: The gibbous moon.
Photo Caption -November 27, 2020: The gibbous moon.

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:29 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:06 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24

Here is today’s planet forecast:

Morning Sky

Four Morning Planets

Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn are west of the sun.  This means that they rise before sunrise.  Jupiter joins them after its solar conjunction in two days, although it is in bright sunlight during the next month.

The speedy inner planet Mercury is near is western extreme from the sun, although the solar system near the eastern horizon is difficult to see at this season.  This has been one of the challenges to see Mars for northern hemisphere sky watchers, while Mercury, Mars, and Saturn are easily seen for more southerly observers.

Venus is heading toward its solar conjunction on the far side of the sun during early June.  This is followed by a wide-swing into the western evening sky after sundown.

Saturn and Mars

2024, May 16: Mars and Saturn are in the eastern sky before daybreak.
Chart Caption – 2024, May 16: Mars and Saturn are in the eastern sky before daybreak.

Saturn is the easiest of the quartet to see. One hour before sunrise, the Ringed Wonder is over 15° above the east-southeast horizon. The planet is brighter than most stars in the sky this morning, but not as bright as Venus or Jupiter.  Not yet a good telescopic body, it is still somewhat dimmed and blurred by the atmosphere.

Mars marches eastward faster than Saturn’s slower trek.  The Red Planet widens a gap to Saturn, after their conjunction last month. This morning, use a binocular to see Mars about 10° above the eastern horizon and nearly 25° to Saturn’s lower left. While slightly brighter than Saturn, Mars mixes with the hues of morning’s early light.

Evening Sky

Jupiter

Jupiter nears its solar conjunction in two days.  Its visibility is wiped out by the sun’s intense light.

Note that as Jupiter and Venus approach their solar conjunctions, Venus passes by Jupiter on May 23rd in a very close conjunction, but the pair is only 3° west of the sun.  This is not visible by conventional means.

Evening Gibbous Moon

May Evening Gibbous Moon
Chart Caption – 2024, May 16: The gibbous moon is below Leo’s belly after sundown.

This evening, an hour after sundown, the gibbous moon, 65% illuminated, is high in the southwest.  The lunar orb is below Leo’s belly, a third night when the moon is in front of the Lion.

The westward-facing Lion is somewhat hidden by the moon’s bright light that illuminates the landscape and casts shadows.  The pattern’s brightest star, Regulus, is about 14° to the moon’s lower right, while the tail, Denebola, is over 12° to the upper left.  Block the moon, with an extended open hand or use a binocular to see the stars.

The moon sets tomorrow morning, over 2.5 hours before sunrise.

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