In the night sky this week, Jupiter is chilling in the constellation Taurus in the night sky this week. It’s visible high in the west after sunset and sets quickly after.
Mars is hanging out nearby in Gemini, near the twin stars Castor and Pollux, around 5 hours after sunset in the west. The red planet is getting dimmer as the Earth pulls away from it in its orbit.
The bright object you see around an hour before sunrise in the east is Venus. It is gaining in brightness as it closes in on Earth’s orbit.
Look a bit at the upper left of Venus and you’ll find Saturn. Look for Saturn above the horizon 90 minutes before sunrise, along with the crescent moon nearby, next Thursday.
Vega shines in the northeast as summer’s brightest star. It is twice the size of our sun and only 25 light years from us. Vega has been our North Star in the past and again in the distant future.
So, grab a blanket, maybe a telescope or binoculars, and enjoy the cosmic spectacle this week has to offer this week through May 22nd. The night sky is putting on quite a show this week—let’s take a look at what’s up there!