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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the week ending Wednesday, May 28, 2014. Here is what’s happening in the skies of southern California:
Be on the lookout for meteors late Friday night at about midnight, Pacific Daylight Time. That is when earth might encounter dust from the comet 209/P LINEAR. Meteor experts Esko Lyytinen, Mikhail Maslov, and Jeremie Vaubaillion all predict encounters with meteor producing particles at some time between 12:03 and 12:40 a.m., PDT on May 23. How strong the resulting meteor shower will be is completely unknown. The possibilities range from nothing to a storm dozens of meteors per minute for about an hour. To give yourself the best chance of seeing meteors, refrain from looking at any bright lights for at least 10 minutes before starting to watch. This includes not looking at cell phone displays. The bright light will decrease your night-vision. It is best to be comfortable, dressed warmly and resting on a reclining chair. If the meteors occur, they will appear to stream from a point (the shower’s radiant), located in the dim constellation Camelopardalis, the Giraffe, and very close to Polaris, the North Star. Because the exact time of the shower’s maximum is uncertain, watch between 11:30 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., PDT. Besides weather, the biggest factor in being able to see the possible shower is light pollution. If possible, go out to desert or mountain wilderness far from urban light glow. It is impossible to recommend an ideal location, so you will want to research candidate campgrounds and parks that are far from artificial lights. Be sure to check the weather forecast for the regions you are considering, and see if an Adventure Pass is required for the site you choose. Special equipment is not needed to watch meteors, although a reclining chair, aimed so that you can see the sky above the northern horizon will make viewing easier. If you have a tripod and a camera that can take time exposures, you may be able to photograph any bright meteors. Because of the diminished visibility of meteors from bright urban regions, Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory will not be open for this event.
Planet Mercury becomes even more visible in the evening sky, starting about half an hour after sunset and until 9:00 p.m. Look 15 degrees (1 ½ times the height of your clenched fist viewed from arm’s length) above the horizon at 8:20 p.m. The planet will appear as a bright star. A telescope will show the planet’s crescent phase.
The planet Jupiter is brilliant and midway between the western horizon and the zenith during evening twilight. The giant planet sets at about 11:00 p.m. by the 27th.
Planet Mars is bright and coppery red in Virgo the Maiden and is high in the south when darkness falls. A telescope and high magnification combined with steady air are all required to see markings on Mars. Mars sets in the west-southwest at about 3:00 a.m.
Ringed planet Saturn, in Libra the Scales, appears as a bright golden star in the southeast sky as darkness falls and is ideally placed for early evening viewing. A telescope will show the planet’s rings and several of its numerous moons. With Mercury, Jupiter and Mars, Saturn is also currently on show through Griffith Observatory’s public telescopes when weather conditions permit.
The moon occupies the morning sky, its phase waning from last-quarter to new between the 21st and 28th. It will be a slender crescent when it poses next to the brightest planet, Venus, before sunrise on Sunday the 25th.
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Free views of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for our schedule. The next public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, June 7.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.