May 10, 2024 Looking west tonight after sunset, you will find a thin crescent moon above the horizon. The Moon will have a disk illumination of 7% tonight so you should also see earthshine. This phenomenon is caused by sunlight reflecting off Earth illuminating the night portions of the lunar surface facing Earth. When the… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 9, 2024
May 9, 2024 Mars and Saturn are visible in the southeast about 40 minutes before sunrise. Those interested in viewing planets, early morning views are all we have until Venus returns to the evening sky in the summer. As the year goes on, Mars and Saturn will rise earlier each week. Eventually, both will become… Continue reading
Red Cross Flag
Red Cross Flag ca. 1918 May 8th is World Red Cross Day, a day to recognize the hard work and dedication of Red Cross staff and volunteers responding to emergencies and crises worldwide. Although this day was first celebrated in 1948, the Red Cross has been operating since 1863 in Europe, and 1881 in the… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 8, 2024
May 8, 2024 Mercury reaches greatest western elongation tomorrow. To find Mercury, you must look southeast about 30 minutes before sunrise. Mercury will only be 5.5° above the horizon so it will be difficult to see. Composite image of Mercury’s north pole where water ice was confirmed by NASA. The ice is found in the… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 7, 2024
May 7, 2024 New moon occurs today starting another synodic cycle. After today, you can find the Moon rising in the west after sunset. Imaged above is what full moon will look like on May 23, 2024. During its full and new phase, the Moon is in syzygy with the Earth and Sun. While this… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: May 4, 2024
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Saturday, May 4, 2024. Information updated weekly or as needed. Times given as local St. Louis time this week will be in Central Daylight Time (CDT). For definitions of terminology used in the night sky update, click the highlighted text. If… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 6, 2024
May 6, 2024 By 10 pm tonight, you will find the asterism known as the Summer Triangle rising in the northeast. This summer pattern contains the bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair. Look for a large triangle pattern in the northeast after 10 pm. The three stars that make up the Summer Triangle are A-class… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 5, 2024
May 5, 2024 The Moon reaches perigee today which is when it is nearest to Earth’s center. When nearer to Earth, the Moon’s tidal effects are stronger leading to perigean spring tides. Perigee this month occurs two days before new moon. When the Moon appears as a thin waning or waxing crescent phase as seen… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 4, 2024
May 4, 2024 NASA’s Magellan spacecraft launched today in 1989. The purpose of the Magellan mission was to map the entire surface of the planet Venus. The mission ended in 1994 as the probe was sent into the crushing atmosphere of Venus. The Magellan spacecraft being deployed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1989. Image… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 3, 2024
May 3, 2024 As Jupiter heads to solar conjunction later this month, we unfortunately find ourselves with no planets to look for in the early evening. Planets will not return to the evening sky until Mercury starts another evening apparition in July. This image was captured by NASA’s Juno mission during its 40th close pass… Continue reading