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Get up early to see moon and Venus |
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May 21, 2017 |
By Bruce McClure
EarthSky.org
Tomorrow – Monday, May 22 – get up an hour or
two before sunrise to see the moon and planet
Venus, the second-brightest and third-brightest
objects in the sky after the sun. The brilliant
twosome will be near each other, a beautiful and
compelling sight as seen from around the globe.
We’ll all be able to see these worlds shining in
our dawn sky, but folks at southerly latitudes
have the better view.
Southern Hemisphere observers will see the moon
and Venus lighting up the morning sky for a much
longer period before sunrise than we will at
more northerly latitudes.
In fact, the farther south you are on Earth’s
globe on May 22, the bigger your advantage for
catching the moon and Venus in the predawn/dawn
sky. For example – on May 22, 2017 at Anchorage,
Alaska (61-degrees north latitude) – the moon
rises about 12 minutes before sunrise, and Venus
comes up about 35 minutes before the sun. On
this same date at Honolulu, Hawaii (21-degrees
north latitude), the moon and Venus both come up
well over two hours before sunrise.
At the more southerly latitudes, you also have a
good chance of spotting Mercury, the innermost
planet of the solar system.
For example, Mercury follows Venus into the sky
about one and one-quarter hours before sunrise
on May 22 from Honolulu, Hawaii.
Bottom line: From around the world on the
morning of May 22, you’ll find a picturesque
scene in the east before dawn, as the waning
crescent moon and very bright planet Venus pair
up at early dawn. |
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