![]() ![]() The hour before dawn is a fine time to view the ringed planet, when Saturn stands at more than 20° elevation in the southeastern sky. It lies about 20° to Saturn’s south and rises about 90 minutes later. Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus is the closest 1st-magnitude star. It lies in mid-Aquarius and is by far the brightest object (magnitude 0.8 most of the month) in the vicinity. ![]() Its altitude improves greatly in the hour before dawn throughout the month. local time on May 1 and is up by 1:30 A.M. (One astronomical unit, or AU, is the average Earth-Sun distance.) The Red Planet, now passing 2 astronomical units from Earth, sets soon after midnight. Through a telescope, Mars presents a tiny disk spanning 5", making it a challenge to see any surface detail except under perfect conditions. Note that Venus stands only 11° away, a few degrees south of Pollux. Mars ends the month only 1° shy of M44: a beautiful pairing setting up the first couple of days of June, when Mars crosses the cluster. A crescent Moon arrives 3° north of M44 on May 24, with Mars standing 5° west of the cluster. ![]() Mars crosses into Cancer by May 17 and drifts closer to the famous Beehive Cluster (M44). ![]() The Red Planet is magnitude 1.4 Pollux shines brighter at magnitude 1.2. ![]()
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