` Planetary Roundup / Lunar Calendar

International Space Station Sightings / Clear Sky Clock / Grundy Observatory

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Celestial Highlights

May 9/10- Annular Solar Eclipse
This eclipse won't be visible from the U.S. but watch it live online at slooh.com

May 24-31 - Jupiter, Venus and Mercury form a planetary conjunction
Don't miss an opportunity all three of these planets extremely close to each other from our perspective.   On May 26 the three will be at their closest as they'll fit within a 2.5-degree circle, about the width of two fingers side-by-side with arm extended out.

Tonight's Sky video provided by the Space Telescope Science Institute      

Planetary Roundup  

     Evening Planets:  Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury (starting May 19)

     Morning Planets: Saturn

 Sunset: 8:13 PM EDT                      Sunrise: 5:51 AM EDT

Apparent Magnitude (Mag.) is how bright an object will appear to us. Below are examples of magnitudes for some of the popular / well known objects in the sky to better give you a comparison as to how bright each of the planets will be.  The more negative the number the brighter the object.

Apparent Magnitude Reference Scale
    6.00                    Faintest our eyes alone can detect
    2.02                    North Star Polaris
    0.58                    Star Betelgeuse of Orion the Hunter
    - 1.46                  Star Sirius of Canis Major the Big Dog, brightest star in night sky
    - 12.6                  Full Moon
    - 26.7                  Sun

Lunar Calendar

Lunar Encounters

May 10 - The extremely thin crescent moon will be to the left of Venus (after sunset)

May 11 - The thin crescent moon hovers between Jupiter (above) and Venus (below)  (after sunset) 

May 12 - The crescent moon positions itself to the upper left of Jupiter (after sunset) 

May 21 - Saturn, the star Spica, and the waxing gibbous moon, respectively from left to right are in alignment (after sunset) 

May 22 - The waxing gibbous moon plays monkey in the middle with Saturn to the left and the star Spica to the right (after sunset) 

May 23 - The nearly full moon positions itself to lower left of Saturn (after sunset) 

 International Space Station Sightings

Did you know that you can spot the International Space Station from your very own backyard without the aid of a telescope?  Click on the icon for listing for the Lancaster, PA area.

Or visit the following for additonal ISS sightings: 

Heavens Above (need to log in as guest or can create your own user account to save your location settings)

NASA Human Space Flight (only provides predictions representing 2 weeks at a time)

When is the ISS visible?

through June 11 - Morning hours

June 3 - June 24  Evening hours

Clear Sky Clock

At a glance, this astronomer's forecast shows when it will be cloudy or clear for up to two days.  It's a prediction of when Lancaster, PA will have good weather for astronomical observing.   Click on the actual clear sky chart for detailed information in how to read it.  For example, dark blue for cloud cover means clear skies but there is more to good observing conditions than just cloud cover.

 Franklin & Marshall College's Grundy Observatory

• Open every third Monday of each month, weather permitting.
• Observing starts one hour after sunset, but no earlier than 6:30 p.m.
• Open to the public, FREE admission

Next public observing session: Monday, May 20 at approx. 9:15 p.m EDT

For information regarding Grundy's public observing session please visit http://fandm.edu/x11609.xml

For current information as to whether the observatory will be open or closed, please visit https://www.facebook.com/GrundyObservatory on the day of the public observing session.

Directions to the Grundy Observatory

The Grundy observatory is located on Baker Campus off of Harrisburg Pike.

• From Harrisburg Pike turn onto President Avenue.
• Head south on President.
• Turn right onto Hillcrest, toward Lancaster Country Day School.
• Continue to Wilson Drive (first stop sign), turn right. 
• Go north on Wilson to the very end of the street, where you see a chain link fence and gate ahead of you.
• Drive through the gate and keep going until you see the observatory.  Parking is available beside the building.  If lot is full additional parking is available just pass the gate on the right.