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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through April 19th, 2017. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
The planet Jupiter, in the constellation Virgo the Maiden, is the brilliant object low in the eastern sky during evening twilight. Jupiter is highest in the south when it crosses the meridian shortly after midnight, and sets in the west before sunrise. Jupiter displays many interesting cloud patterns that can be seen through telescopes. Its famous oval storm, the Great Red Spot, will be visible to observers in Los Angeles at 9:00 p.m. on the 14th, 16th, and 18th. The giant planet and its four brightest moons are one of the sights currently featured through Griffith Observatory’s public telescopes.
The waning moon rises after sunset by an increasingly longer interval nightly. Moonrise is at 8:55 p.m. on the 12th and at 1:55 a.m. on the 19th. The moon’s phase is gibbous until it becomes last quarter on the morning of the 19th.
The planet Saturn appears golden and star-like in the constellation Sagittarius the Archer. It rises above the east-southeast horizon before 12:30 a.m., and is highest in the south during the dawn, about five hours later. Saturn’s spectacular rings, visible only through telescopes, are currently tilted by nearly their maximum amount to the earth. The gibbous moon appears next to Saturn on the 16th. Saturn will be available for early evening observation starting in the summer.
The brightest planet, Venus, is easy to see in the eastern sky shortly before sunrise. Venus displays a crescent phase, visible through telescopes.
The International Space Station will outshine Jupiter during three of its upcoming evening passes over Los Angeles. The first happens on Wedesday the 12th, between 9:06 and 9:09 p.m. The brilliant satellite will move up from the northwest horizon until it is 45 degrees high in the north, midway between the horizon and the zenith, the point directly overhead. At the same moment, it will vanish into the Earth’s shadow. The second pass happens on Friday the 14th, between 8:58 and 9:01 p.m. This time the space station first appears over the west-northwest horizon and moves to its highest point, 47 degrees high in the southwest. Shortly after it begins its descent, it again reaches Earth’s shadow and quickly disappears from view. The ISS will appear at its brightest on the following night, the 15th, when it crosses the sky from the northwest to the southeast between 8:06 and 8:12 p.m. It is highest, 73 degrees above the northeast horizon, at 8:09 p.m.
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 the schedule. The next free 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, May 6th.
Follow the Sky Report on Twitter for updates of astronomy and space-related events.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.