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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through May 2, 2018. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.

The brightest planet, Venus, glistens in the west-northwest sky from sunset until 9:45 p.m. Through a telescope, Venus currently appears small and it displays a gibbous phase.

The moon lights most of the nighttime hours through May 2nd as it becomes full on the 29th. On that day, when the moon is opposite the sun, it rises within a few minutes of sunset. By May 2nd, the moon’s eastward orbital motion will make it rise well after darkness has fallen, at 10:20 p.m.

By 9:00 p.m., the second brightest planet, Jupiter, can’t be missed above the southeast horizon against the starry backdrop provided by the constellation Libra the Scales. Earth’s rotation makes Jupiter arc westward until it crosses the meridian, in the south, at about 1:45 a.m. By that time, two other bright planets can be seen low in the southeast sky, orange Mars, and to its upper right, golden Saturn. Both are in the constellation Sagittarius the Archer.

Saturn and Mars are at their highest in the sky when they cross the meridian, in the south, at dawn. By that time, Jupiter will have moved to the southwest.

Also during the dawn, at about 5:30 a.m., the planet Mercury can be spotted above the east point of the horizon. Although Mercury now nearly equals Saturn in brightness, it is set against the bright glow of the approaching sunrise, so you may find binoculars to be helpful in spotting it.

One of the bright satellites currently visible from Los Angeles during the early evening hours is the famous Hubble Space Telescope, in orbit about 335 miles above Earth’s surface. The best evening appearance of the HST over the next few nights will be on Sunday the 29th. The HST will outshine the stars of the Big Dipper from 8:58 to 9:03 p.m. while it moves from the west-southwest horizon to a point 33 degrees high in the south-southeast. At that point, it meets the Earth’s shadow and vanishes abruptly.

The largest artificial satellite and home to an international crew of six–the International Space Station–will pass 252 miles above Los Angeles at the start of dawn on Wednesday, May 2nd. The ISS will emerge from Earth’s shadow at 4:43 a.m., when it is already high in the southwest sky. It will pass directly overhead about a minute later. Outshining any of the planets then visible, the space station can be followed until it approaches the northeast horizon, at 4:48 a.m.

Free views of the Sun during the day and of the moon and other interesting 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 19th.

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.