The new moon in May 2024 will see the bright constellations of summer begin to rise, just as the constellations of winter sink below the horizon. That same night, Saturn, Mars, and (for observers at more equatorial latitudes) Mercury will grace the pre-dawn sky.
The timing of lunar phases depends on the position of the moon relative to the Earth rather than one’s location on the Earth’s surface. This is why the time when the new moon (or any other phase) occurs depends on one’s longitude and time zone.
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the May new moon will occur on May 7 at 23:22 Eastern Daylight Time (03:22 UTC on May 8) in New York City. While the moon reaches its new phase at almost midnight in New York, this event occurs at 8:22 pm in Los Angeles. As you move east, the date moves towards May 8; In Cape Town it is 5:22 pm, in New Delhi it is 8:52 pm, in Tokyo it is 13:22 pm.
Relating to: What is the moon phase today? Moon phases 2024
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The new moon phase occurs when the moon comes directly between the Earth and the Sun. At this stage, they share a celestial longitude, which is the projection of the Earth’s longitude lines on the sky, in an arrangement also called conjunction.
If the sun and moon align perfectly, the result is a solar eclipse; The next one will be held on October 2.
This does not often happen because the Moon’s orbit is slightly tilted (about 5 degrees) relative to the Earth’s orbital plane. In other words, it will not be possible to see the Moon in its new phase because the Sun is shining and the Moon is not facing us; Even if we could see, we would be looking at the dark side, which is black on a black background.
visible planets
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the sun sets in New York on new moon day at 7:59 p.m. The sun sets later as you go north; As you move south, the opposite happens and it sets earlier; At this time of year, the long days that mark the Northern Hemisphere summer begin to become readily apparent. For example, in Seattle, which is just seven degrees latitude north of New York City, the sun sets at 20:31 Pacific Daylight Time. Meanwhile, it is 19:56 local time in Miami.
Sunset occurs earlier as you move south because in the tropics, that is, between 23.5 degrees north latitude (Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5 degrees south latitude (Tropic of Capricorn), day length does not change much throughout the year. as in more northern or southern regions. The length of the day at these two latitudes is approximately 10 hours 40 minutes to 13 hours 34 minutes; Compare this to cities like Chicago, where the day is as long as 15 hours 31 minutes and as short as 9 hours 7 minutes. So, as summer approaches, the day length becomes shorter as you get closer to the equator and the sun appears to set earlier.
The first planet to rise in the early hours of May 8, at 3:25 a.m. local time in New York City, is Saturn. Mars follows at 4:08 a.m. Finally, Mercury rises at 4:53 a.m.
Saturn in the constellation Aquarius reaches an altitude of 16 degrees around 5:00 am; The sky is brightening at this point – sunrise in New York City is at 5:45 a.m. At this point Mars is to Saturn’s left, almost 10 degrees above the horizon to the east. Mercury is the most difficult to detect; It will only reach a high of 6 degrees by 5:30 a.m.; This would be true for any location in the mid-northern latitudes (e.g. New York City, Denver, Chicago, or Sacramento).
It is easier to see the entire trio of planets as you move towards the equator; The steeper the angle of the ecliptic (the plane of the Earth’s orbit projected into the sky), the higher they rise with the horizon before sunrise (this is also why tropical sunsets and sunrises tend to appear shorter).
For example, sunrise in Belize City is earlier – at 5:23 a.m. local time on May 8, but Saturn rises at 2:08 a.m. local time, Mars rises at 3:06 a.m., and Mercury rises at 4:03 a.m. local time . At 4:30 a.m., Saturn is 33 degrees above the horizon, Mars is 20 degrees, and Mercury is 6 degrees above the horizon; the latter is a more easily observed target than the United States or much of Europe.
constellations
Summer is upon us in the mid-northern latitudes, and it doesn’t get completely dark until 9 p.m. local time in New York City or Chicago. The timing will vary slightly depending on which side of the time zone one is on—for example, Detroit is on the west side of the Eastern Time zone, so the sun appears to set at nearly 8:40 p.m. It is at the same latitude as New York, and some locales do not use daylight saving time.
At 21:00 the winter stars make their debut. Castor and Pollux, symbolizing the heads of the famous Gemini (Gemini), can still be seen low in the west; Procyon, the bright star of Canis Minor, will be below and to their left. If one looks south (Gemini is to your right) and looks across about two-thirds of the sky, one sees Leo the Lion and the constellation’s alpha star, Regulus, below the sickle-shaped group. Lion head.
Looking north, the bowl can be oriented with the Big Dipper almost just above the northern horizon, with the bowl upside down and two stars pointing to Polaris, the pole star, on the left side of the bowl. The stars are called Dubhe and Merak, and Dubhe is the one closer to Polaris; You find Polaris by drawing a line between the two and continuing until you hit Polaris.
A “bow to Arcturus” can be made by following the handle of the Dipper; A wide movement along the curve of the handle takes you there, to the brightest star of Shepherd Boötes. Continuing this arc, it hits Spica, the brightest star of the Virgo constellation. If a line is drawn between Dubhe and Merak far From Polaris one reaches Leo the Lion.
To the east, Vega, Lyra’s alpha star Lyre, rises about 10 degrees by 9pm local time. Vega is one of the three stars of the Summer Triangle, the others being Deneb, the brightest star of the Cygnus, and Altair, the eye of the Cygnus. The last two will rise around 23:30 and will be high enough to be easily visible by midnight. The trio forms a rough right triangle with its narrowest point facing south, so it is a good direction finder, especially as it rises in the sky; The Big Dipper can be used to orient northward.
At midnight, looking to the southeast, at about 12 to 15 degrees altitude (depending on how far to the north or south it is), Antares will be visible, the brightest star (“heart”) of Scorpius, the legendary scorpion that killed Orion the Hunter. Looking above Antares, three medium-bright stars can be seen forming the head of Scorpius. Where the sky is darker, above and to the left of Scorpius is the dimmer (but much larger) constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder or Healer.
Ophiuchus can be recognized by a long trapezoid of medium to faint stars lying above Scorpius; Initially (about midnight) it will appear to be lying on its side. On either side of Ophiuchus are the constellations Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda, the head (Caput) and tail (Cauda) of the serpents that Ophiuchus holds. Ophiuchus, also called Asclepius by the ancient Greeks, was the healer who brought Orion back to life after the Hunter was bitten by the Scorpion.
Winter is approaching in the southern hemisphere. For example, the sun sets early in Cape Town at 17:58 local time on May 8. This means the sky gets dark enough to see the stars by 7pm. Observers at mid-southern latitudes can see Orion and Gemini to the northwest. by then near the horizon; Orion will be horizontal, and the three stars of the belt will form a vertical line; Gemini will be to the right (north) of Orion; both will appear “upside down” relative to what a Northern Hemisphere observer would see; This means that stars like Sirius, which is almost near the horizon in New York or Miami, are about 50 degrees higher in the west.
Turn left (south) and you can see Canopus at about the same height as Sirius; The Keel of the Ship is Carina’s brightest star. As you continue to turn eastward, the Southern Cross is again visible at a similar height above the horizon, and just below it is Alpha Centauri, also called Rigil Kentaurus (“Rigel” of Centaur). Alpha Centauri is the brightest star of Centaur Centaur and the sun’s closest stellar neighbor. Above Alpha Centauri lies Beta Centauri or Hadar.
Scorpius, “upside down” from the Antipodean point of view, will rise low over the horizon in the southeast; It becomes fully visible around 20:00 in the evening. A fainter constellation just above Scorpius and to the left (east) of Centaurus is Lupus the Wolf.
It is Carina Keel, looking to the right one sees the stars of Puppis, the Poop Deck. A wide circle of stars above Canopus is Vela, the Sail; Its brightest star is Gamma Velorum, above and to the left of Canopus. Below and to the left of Canopus is the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.
The Southern Celestial Pole is in the constellation Octans, i.e. the octant (octant is an ancient astronomical instrument). There is no southern “pole star”; Polaris’ alignment with the North Celestial Pole is coincidental. One way to find the pole is to use the “pointers” on Centaurus, Alpha and Beta Centauri. Draw a line between these two and another bright star, Achernar, to the tip of the River Eridanus, which will be near the horizon in the south-southwest. The halfway point marks the pole.