Tuesday, May 1, 2018

May 1 - May Planets

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May guide to the bright planets

Jupiter rules! This month, it shines at its brightest best for 2018 and is out all night. Venus blazes in early evening. Saturn and Mars rise late and ornament the predawn hours.

Tonight … Moon, Antares, Jupiter

Tonight's moon is near the bright star Antares in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. Even brighter Jupiter is still nearby.  

See it! This week's moon and Jupiter

Over the past day, we've added many gorgeous photos to this gallery. Thanks to all who submitted!

How Pluto got its name

Eleven-year-old Venetia Burney suggested Pluto, a classical mythological god of the underworld. The name also honored Percival Lowell, whose early efforts led to Pluto's discovery.

Watch SpaceX Dragon depart ISS Wednesday

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to depart the International Space Station on Wednesday. NASA TV will cover Dragon's departure live, starting at 10 a.m. EDT (14:00 UTC; translate UTC to your time).

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Tonight … Moon, Antares, Jupiter

The moon comes up later Tuesday night, near bright Antares and even brighter Jupiter. Later this week, the moon will sweep past Saturn and Mars.

See it! Moon and Jupiter

Patricia Evans in Seabrook, New Hampshire, caught the moon and Jupiter just after midnight Monday morning, along with the navigation lights of a plane. The greenish blob to the immediate left of the moon isn't a real sky object. It's a camera artifact known as a lens flare, frequently seen in photos of bright objects such as the sun and moon. 
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