Why are Stargazers so excited by a new moon? At 10:02 p.m. on Monday, May 26, our natural satellite will slip between the earth and the sun and will completely disappear from the sight. As he does, he will leave the night sky free from moonlight, which the serious stars consider as light pollution.
In the week before the new moon, and for a few nights after, the night sky becomes as dark as possible. This makes the period of May 20 to May 30 The best time of the month to go out and look up. Here is what to see of the average latitudes of the northern hemisphere, including the continental United States, around 10 p.m. (unless otherwise indicated).
1. La Grande Dipper and Ursa Major
Most people can find the seven stars of The Big Dipper in the night sky, but did you know that it is not a constellation? Known as an asterism – a form of stars – the large decipper forms the rear (and, useless, the long tail) of Ursa Major, The Great Bear. “May is an ideal moment to trace the many stars of Ursa Major, because it is almost directly above the head.
The easiest way to start finding it is to start with the three visible legs of the bear, which are each marked by a set of double stars – Alula Borealis and Australis, and Tania Borealis and Australis for the two rear legs of the bear, and Talitha and Talitha Australis for the visible front leg. Under the latter, the Muscia star marks the head of the bear.
2. Leo, the lion
Look towards the south as soon as it is dark, and you will see a prohibition point behind the stars that marks the head and the previous districts of Leo, the lion. The point in this question point (called “the sickle” by Stargazers) is Bright Star Regulus, which means “Little King”, according to Earth.
3. A little “planet parade”
If you only get up early this month, have 45 minutes before sunrise on Friday, May 23 when, in the east, a crescent moon appears near a very brilliant Venus, with Saturn nearby.
4. Boötes, the shepherd
Go back to Ursa Major and draw its tail – the handle of the Great Dipper – in an “Arc à Arcturus” at the next brilliant star in the night sky. The most brilliant fourth star of the night sky, Arcturus is the brightest star of the constellation of Boötes, the shepherd, a key but little -known shape of the stars in the spring. Its nine stars trace the shape of what looks most of a kite, but jump that and focus on what is easy-four stars which are in the shape of a “y” or champagne flute.
5. The Hercules cluster
See by yourself
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Hidden in the halo of Milky Way The galaxy is strange Old Star groups called globular clusters. Hugs in dense balls and considered as the remains of the ancient galaxies engulfed by ours, there are about 150 in the night sky. Remarkably, these are the oldest objects visible in the universe.
One of the best is M13 in the Hercules constellation, the hero, who is high above his head after nightfall. You will need a pair of starsor better still a Good garden telescopE, to erase it as a dense fuzzy patch. It contains more than 100,000 stars, according to NasaAnd is 25,000-light years away from far-reaching years to the outskirts of the galaxy.
Update: This article was updated on May 22 to indicate that the best period of stars have started
Constellations Quiz: Can you name all the mythological animals, objects and figures hiding in the night sky?