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May
30, 2006: Something remarkable is about to happen
in the evening sky. Three planets and a star cluster are converging
for a close encounter you won't want to miss.
The action begins
at sundown on Wednesday, May 31st, when the crescent Moon
glides by Saturn: sky
map. You can see them side-by-side about halfway up the
western sky, shining through the glow of sunset--very pretty.
Got
a backyard telescope? Point it at the Moon. You'll see craters
and mountains casting long shadows. Next, look at Saturn.
The planet's rings will take your breath away. Also, look
around Saturn. There's a star cluster! Saturn is
sitting right next to "the Beehive," a swarm of
stars 600 light years from Earth.
Right:
Saturn and the Beehive star cluster. Photo credit: Jimmy Westlake
of Yampa, Colorado. [Larger
image]
This
three-way convergence marks a spot in the sky you should watch
as June unfolds, because things are about to get even more
interesting.
After
May 31st, the Moon moves away, leaving Saturn and the Beehive
behind. Keep an eye on Saturn every night. Before long you'll
notice a dim red star approaching the ringed planet. That
"star" is Mars. Every night it creeps closer to
Saturn.
Fans
of Star Trek, make the Vulcan "Live Long and Prosper"
sign with your right hand. Hold it at arm's length. By Wednesday,
June 7th, both Mars and Saturn will fit inside the "V":
sky
map.
Thursday,
June 15th, is a special night. En route to Saturn, Mars will
pass directly in front of the Beehive. Scan the ensemble with
binoculars or a small telescope. Red Mars is about 16 times
brighter than the surrounding stars. It'll look like a red
supernova has gone off inside the cluster--a wonderful photo-op
for amateur astronomers: sky
map.
Not
enough? In mid-June, Mercury leaps out of the glare of the
Sun, soaring into the evening sky not far from Saturn and
Mars. Greatest visibility occurs around June 15th, the same
night Mars "explodes" in the Beehive. Mercury is
easy to see even from over-lit cities.
Finally,
the climax: On Saturday, June 17th, Mars and Saturn draw so
close together you might think they're going to collide. (They
won't.) Stick out your pinky and hold it at arm's length.
The two planets will fit behind the tip with room to spare.
Mercury, meanwhile, hovers just below: sky
map. Wow!
Mark
your calendar: May 31st, June 7th, June 15th, June 17th. Four
sunsets, three planets and a star cluster--not a bad way to
end the day.
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Author: Dr. Tony
Phillips | Production Editor:
Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA
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The
Beehive Cluster
-- When Galileo first saw the Beehive through a telescope
in the 17th century, he wrote "the nebula ... is
not one star only, but a mass of more than 40 small
stars." The Beehive can be seen with the unaided
eye from dark rural areas.
Live
Long and Prosper -- Gene Roddenberry demonstrates
the V-shaped Vulcan salute
The
Vision for Space Exploration |
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