Waxing moon, Castor, Pollux, Mars on May 9
Comment Print Me Email to FriendTonight's Sky for Friday, May 09 2008
At nightfall, the waxing crescent cozies up with Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini the Twins. At a distance of about 34 light-years, Pollux is the closest giant star to our solar system, and is one of the few giant stars to harbor a planet.
Castor, at 52 light-years away, looks like a single star to the eye. But it’s actually six stars in one, all revolving around one another in an intricate dance!
With binoculars, you may discern Castor and Pollux’s contrasting colors. Pollux looks orange whereas Castor appears white. An orange star has a relatively low surface temperature, and is in the autumn of its years. On the other hand, a white star is in the heyday of youth, its color indicating a higher surface temperature.
To the upper left of the moon, the ruddy planet Mars and the faint Beehive star cluster mark the moon’s path through the heavens. Tomorrow evening, the moon will shine right next to the Beehive cluster. During the daylight hours tomorrow – when it’s Saturday evening in India and Southeast Asia – the moon will occult (pass directly in front of) Mars in that part of the globe.
