Mahalo to all who came to March’s star watch in Kaumakani. We had to dodge some clouds but still found enough to keep everyone interested. We skipped April but look forward to May’s starwatch!
For viewing planets, reddish Mars can be found low in the west after sunset. During the beginning of May, it will make an interesting grouping with the bright red giant stars Aldebaran and Betelgeuse. Jupiter and Saturn are rising earlier each night, with Jupiter rising around 10 and Saturn a couple hours later. Both can be seen high overhead before sunrise.
Most people think of a blue moon as the second full moon in a single month. However, the traditional definition of a blue moon is the third full moon in a season with four full moons.
Since this spring has four full moons, and the third is on May 18, that will be a blue moon. It will not actually appear blue, though, it will be no different than any other full moon. In case you were wondering how often “once in a blue moon” is, the average is once every 2.7 years.
The Eta Aquarids meteor shower will peak on Monday, May 6, so named because it appears to radiate from the constellation Aquarius, although they can be seen in any part of the sky. It should be an above average meteor shower for Hawaii, up to 40 meteors or “shooting stars” per hour with a new moon making them easier to see.
As with any meteor shower, the hours between midnight and sunrise are best, but they can be seen throughout the night. They can be seen several nights before and after the peak. The Eta Aquarids are caused by sand-grain-sized bits of material left behind by Halley’s Comet slamming into Earth’s atmosphere at up to 150,000 mph!
Lahaina noon occurs on May 31 at 12:35 p.m. for Kauai. This is when the sun will be directly overhead, meaning that if you go outside at this time you will notice that vertical objects like utility poles will not cast any shadow!
This only happens twice per year and only in the tropics, making Hawaii the only state where this phenomenon occurs. The name comes from a Bishop Museum naming competition held in the 1990s, chosen because it means “cruel sun.” However, the old Hawaiian name is “kau ka la i ka lolo,” or “the sun rests on the brains.”
The constellation Leo will be high overhead in the early evening throughout May. Leo is noted by the bright star Regulus marking the front paw of Leo the lion. Since this area of the sky is directed out of the plane of our galaxy the Milky Way, other than the bright stars of Leo it appears more empty other parts of the sky.
However, if you have a telescope, this makes it an excellent area to observe other galaxies! Most impressive of all are the “Leo trio,” made up of galaxies M65, M66 and NGC 3628. With the right magnification they can all be seen simultaneously through the eyepiece for a very impressive sight, especially if you can appreciate that each of those galaxies is its own island of stars equivalent in size to our own, with hundreds of billions of stars!
KEASA (Kauai Educational Association for Science and Astronomy) will be hosting its monthly public starwatch at the Kaumakani school softball field tonight, perfect timing to kick back in a chair and look for Eta Aquarid meteors after you’ve had your fill of astronomical wonders seen through our telescopes.
Check out our website at keasa.org for the full schedule. Come join us at sunset and bring a light jacket and a comfortable chair or blanket. Our astronomers look forward to sharing these objects and more through our telescopes.
If the weather is in doubt, call 346-5796 to verify the event is still on. While there, speak to one of our members about the benefits of membership. We need more stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts to carry KEASA into the future! Aloha, and clear skies, everyone!
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David Bickham is vice president of KEASA.
