May, 1997

Well, we knew this day was going to come, but it is just hard to believe it is here already. It is time to say goodbye to Comet Hale-Bopp. In early May, Hale-Bopp lies in Taurus, about 15 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon at late twilight. The comet should be around 2nd magnitude making it quite an easy object to see throughout the month. It will appear as a fuzzy, almost unfocused light. It will be very close to Betelgeuse, a bright star in the constellation Orion. Around May 20, Hale-Bopp will fall beneath the horizon about an hour after sunset. It will not be until the year 5400 until you can see this elusive comet again!

If you focus your attention on the southern region of the sky, you should be able to pick out a ruddy little red object. Mars will remain in the sky until about midnight, shining at a magnitude of -0.1. You will notice that the red planet will continue to fade quite significantly over the course of May. On May 16 be sure to look for a waxing gibbous moon as it passes just south of Mars.

Make your way southeast of Mars and you will come to a slightly brighter object than our closest planetary neighbour. This star is Spica, a resident of the constellation Virgo.

If you are up after midnight, be sure to look for Jupiter who rises over the east-southeastern horizon. The planet will be shining at a brilliant magnitude of -2.3 in the constellation of Capricornus. For those more ambitious observers, Uranus can be viewed in this constellation as well with a pair of binoculars. At a magnitude of 5.8, it will be nearly invisible to the naked eye! It lies just east of the midpoint of Beta and Psi Capricorni (check out a star map to identify these stars).

By 4 am the night sky is dominated by the summer constellations. Try and spot the Summer Triangle high in the south. Look for the brightest star of the constellation Aquila, Altair. It makes up the southern point of the Triangle. The other two points are Deneb, a -1.3 star in Cygnus and a very bright star known as Vega in the constellation Lyra. This group of stars in the midst of the hazy clutter of stars in the Milky Way.

As the early morning light starts to creep in, the amazing planet Saturn rises in the east at a magnitude of -0.7. The ringed planet will lie in the constellation of Pisces. For those who wish to experience the awe inspiring site of Saturn's rings, a small telescope will be needed. On May 4, the moon will occult the planet at midmorning.

During the second week of May, Mercury makes its way back into view. It can be viewed below Saturn, just over the eastern horizon after sunrise.

May has always greeted us with the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. Predawn hours will prove to be the most advantageous time to watch this spectacle because this is when the Earth's leading edge drives itself into the oncoming meteors. Try and pick out meteors that skim our atmosphere and leaves bright paths called trains. Some may even be given the treat of witnessing a fireball! For those wondering where these meteors originated, you may be surprised to know that they are the residuals of Halley's Comet as it orbits our sun.

Bibliography

Ratcliffe, Martin. "The Sky Almanac". Astronomy Magazine. May 1997. Kalmbach Publishing.