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May 9, 2024Radio: Today’s Episode
Moon and Elnath
A star with an important name
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Radio: Yesterday’s Episode
Saturn and Aquarius
Bowling through the water-bearer
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Stargazing
Moon and Elnath
The star Elnath represents the point of one of the horns of Taurus, the bull. It appears near the crescent Moon the next couple of nights, quite low in the early evening sky. It is above the Moon tonight, and to the lower right of the Moon tomorrow night.
Saturn and Aquarius
Aquarius the water bearer is in the east-southeast before dawn. The planet Saturn is near the left edge of the constellation. The solar system’s second-largest planet looks like a bright star.
Hercules Cluster
M13, the Hercules Cluster, is about 25,000 light-years away and contains several hundred thousand stars. It is low in the northeast at nightfall, along the line that connects the top two stars in the Keystone, a lopsided square that outlines the strongman’s torso.
Moon Phases
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing Earth is illuminated (position 1 in illustration). In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later (3). At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight (5).
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