Young moon pairs with Mercury on May 6
4 comments Print Me Email to FriendTonight's Sky for Tuesday, May 06 2008
For northern hemisphere viewers, a grand attraction adorns the western sky shortly after sunset. The slender waxing crescent moon partners up with the planet Mercury at dusk and early evening. Make sure to find an unobstructed western horizon for this evening’s sky show.
About 30 to 45 minutes after sunset, look westward – over the sunset point on the horizon – for the thin crescent moon. The lunar disk will be roughly 4% illuminated by sunlight and 96% in darkness. Nonetheless, the moon will be visible in a clear sky. As twilight deepens, watch for the planet Mercury to pop out as a point of light nearby the moon. As seen from most of North America, Mercury shines to the lower left, or below, the moon.
Because the moon and Mercury snuggle close together this evening, the two readily fit inside a single binocular field. If your sky is clear, Mercury should be visible to the eye alone about one hour after sundown. But don’t tarry! Mercury sets 1 hour and 45 minutes after the sun at mid-northern latitudes.
Last but not least, scan the moon with binoculars to witness the soft glow of earthshine on the dark side of the moon!
i like your website.i check it for stargazing and eco-news.there is a small problem though.the info on the planets,stars,etc. is good,but many times you don’t give enough info.for example,tonight you mention the moon with mercury,but you don’t say what the other star(or planet)is in the picture.thanks for your attention derek
Derek,
Aldebaran is even harder to see than Mercury is right now! Aldebaran, the giant star depicting the ruddy eye of the constellation Taurus the Bull, is a fixture of the northern hemisphere winter sky. Now that we’re well into spring, this star is sinking into the glare of the setting sun, and is to pass out of the evening sky and into the morning sky around June 1. Standing opposite of Aldebaran on the sky’s dome, the red supergiant star Antares (the heart of the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion) will shine from dusk till dawn in early June, whereas Aldebaran will be lost in the sun’s glare.
Bruce
I did not know what to think when I looked up in the sky and saw this.I thought, No…it could not be an eclipse as we just had one of those a few months ago.
Thanks for the info:)
Is this a special event that only happens ever so often or does this happen every year around this time?
Na,
For the northern hemisphere, May 6 offered the year’s best view of the crescent moon and Mercury in the evening sky. A similarly good opportunity won’t come again until April 26, 2009!
Bruce