The Sky This Week: May 6 – May 8

Mars heads toward peak visibility, a young Moon shines faintly, and the Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks.

Friday, May 6
New Moon occurs at 3:30 p.m. EDT. At its New phase, the Moon crosses the sky with the Sun and so remains hidden by our star. Because the Moon reaches perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth, only 15 hours earlier (at 12:13 a.m. EDT), residents in coastal areas can expect higher than normal tides for the next few days. At perigee, the center of the Moon lies 222,344 miles (357,827 kilometers) from Earth’s center.

Mars passes 1.2° north of the 7th-magnitude globular star cluster M80 tonight. The view through binoculars or a telescope at low power should be impressive.

Jupiter sports a pair of “black eyes” tonight as the shadows of two of its large moons cross the jovian cloud tops. The shadow of outermost Callisto treks across the planet’s north polar region from 11:18 p.m. until 1:42 a.m. EDT. Innermost Io’s shadow crosses the gas giant from 12:39 a.m. to 2:53 a.m. EDT. It’s easy to tell the two shadows apart because Io’s will appear much closer to Jupiter’s equator.

Saturday, May 7
With an age of 4.5 billion years, “young” might not seem an appropriate word to describe our Moon. But tonight, you have an exceptional opportunity to see what astronomers call a “young Moon” — a slender crescent visible low in the west some 30 to 45 minutes after sunset. With New Moon having occurred yesterday afternoon, only 2 percent of our satellite’s disk appears illuminated this evening. You should notice an ashen light faintly illuminating the Moon’s dark side. This is “earthshine,” sunlight reflected by Earth that reaches the Moon and then reflects back to our waiting eyes. Use binoculars for the best view. The young Moon will be much easier to see tomorrow evening, when it appears significantly higher and some 7 percent illuminated.

Sunday, May 8
Although the calendar says May, the sky’s Summer Triangle returns to prominence this month. The asterism’s three bright stars — Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus, and Altair in Aquila — all clear the horizon by midnight local daylight time. An hour later, they rule the eastern sky. Vega shines brightest and appears at the apex of the triangular asterism. Look for Deneb to Vega’s lower left and Altair to the lower right of the other two. The Summer Triangle will grace the Northern Hemisphere’s evening sky from now through the end of the year.

Source

Astronomy Magazine

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Friday, May 6th

Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 110.63° ESE
Sun Altitude: 50.71°
Sun Distance: 93.795 million mi
Next Solstice: Jun 20, 2016 5:34 PM (Summer)
Sunrise Today: 5:54 AM↑ 68° East
Sunset Today: 7:48 PM↑ 292° Northwest
Length of Daylight: 13 hours, 54 minutes

Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 117.92° ESE
Moon Altitude: 48.34°
Moon Distance: 222479 mi
Next New Moon: May 6, 20162:29 PM
Next Full Moon: May 21, 20164:14 PM
Next Moonset: Today7:49 PM
Current Moon Phase: Near New Moon (Waning Crescent)
Illumination: 0.2%

Source

timeanddate.com

That didn’t take as long as I thought it would. If I hadn’t opened my mouth, you might not have even known we had to change themes. The old one and this one are very, very similar. This one is suppose to work better on your I Phones, tablets and the such.

I am still shaking my head though. WordPress gave me a link to the templates that would support the additional ads. This template was listed as one of those. Then when I went in the back to add the ads, guess what? It said the template wouldn’t support certain placement of the ads. I checked the ones that would and didn’t find one I liked. I will look some more but for right now we are sticking with this one.

Now, we are off to get the daily posts going. Before we get that done, did you have a chance to vote in our mock election? I checked the results this morning and I was surprised. Well not really Donald Trump is currently in first place. Second place is currently held by Bernie Sanders. Hilary is currently in third place. Hmm, does this mean there might be a contested Democratic convention this year? I guess we will have to wait and see…..

See ya in a bit,

Love ya,

Lady A

As you have probably noticed we have had several new ads added to the site.  You probably know I am a perfectionist also. When I saw the ad at the top of the page, I contacted WordPress. I asked them if there was anyway they could possibly center it. They tried to tweak the template so it would be centered. Then they checked the template, come to find out our template has been retired for about a year. Also it is not mobile friendly and our users that get us through their cellphones might be having issues. I got a link to several different templates that are user friendly and hopefully work better for us. I am hoping this doesn’t take too long. It is a template I have used on other sites, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

It if runs too long, you will get horoscopes and all the daily divination. Just hang with us and hopefully you will like the new design.

See ya in a bit,

Lady A

I have to run and get my pup’s medicine before the vet’s office closes. But before we run off, I have been wanting to do something and everyone around here keeps giving me dirty looks about it. Well, of course, they really gave me some dirty looks about the “warlock” thing yesterday. Anyway, let’s have a mock election. Seriously! Politics doesn’t generally interest me but this year, you have to admit it has been a rather strange time for it. So I thought it would be fun to have a mock election. Want too? Maybe with our little mock election we can predict the next President of the United States, hmm!

Take a moment, if you would and vote. It is just for fun and I am curious on how others feel about this year’s Presidential race. You can always get a feel for how things are headed by the way the vote turns out. And of course, when it is time for the real election, we will start our “Get Out The Vote Campaign” as usual. It doesn’t matter who you vote for as long as you vote (in the real election). It is your Goddess’ given birthright, use it.

Now, let’s get on with….

I know this is light-hearted and all in good clean fun. But when the elections roll around, I do worry. I wonder what kind of person will hold the highest office in our land. I wonder what new laws or restrictions they might try to implement. Being an old soul, I wonder if they might try to pass some restrictions on religion in our country. I wonder if the time might ever come when we must stand and fight for our religion. I know there is suppose to be a separation between  church and state but you know what a mess our country is in now, anything is possible. I will leave it at that, now please vote, my sweets!

Till tomorrow,

Love ya,

Lady A

I personally love this one! I hope you enjoy it!

What Type of Psychic are You?

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2016 May 5

The SONG and the Hunter
Image Credit & Copyright: Mads Fredslund Andersen, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus Univ., Denmark

Explanation: Near first quarter, the Moon in March lights this snowy, rugged landscape, a view across the top of Tenerife toward La Palma in the Canary Islands Spanish archipelago. The large Teide volcano, the highest point in Spain, looms over the horizon. Shining above are familiar bright stars of Orion, the Hunter. Adding to the dreamlike scene is the 1 meter diameter prototype telescope of the global network project called the Stellar Observations Network Group or SONG. The SONG’s fully robotic observatory was captured during the 30 second exposure while the observatory dome, with slit open, was rotated across the field of view.

Eta Aquarid meteors before dawn May 6

This year’s third and final new supermoon on May 6 means a dark sky for the 2016 Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which will probably be at its best from about 3 a.m. until dawn on May 6. In a dark sky, especially at latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, the Eta Aquarids can produce up to 20 to 40 meteors per hour – or more.

Our sky chart below shows the sky scene from mid-northern latitudes just before the onset of morning twilight. The Y-shaped “Water Jar” is the most prominent feature in the otherwise inconspicuous constellation Aquarius. Incidentally, this distinctive Y-shaped pattern of stars closely aligns with the radiant point of the Eta Aquarid shower. For more on the Eta Aquarid radiant and why more Eta Aquarids are visible from more southerly latitudes, click here.

This meteor shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, and the tropical and subtropical latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Appreciably north of 40 degrees north latitude (the latitude of Denver, Colorado), streaking meteors are few and far between. The early morning twilight at far northern latitudes washes these Eta Aquarid meteors from the sky. At this time of the year, morning twilight comes at a later hour to southerly latitudes.

Once again, the best viewing time is roughly from about two hours to one hour before sunrise. Unsure of your sunrise time? Or when nautical twilight begins? Check our almamac page. No matter where you live, the last hour of darkness just before dawn tends to feature the greatest number of meteors.

Data gathered by the International Meteor Organization seems to suggest a possible connection between Jupiter’s 12-year orbit and the intensity of the Eta Aquarid meteors. Jupiter causes the Eta Aquarid meteor shower to put out a maximum number of meteors in 12-year periods, but to the best of our knowledge, astronomers aren’t expecting increased numbers of Eta Aquarid meteors in 2016.

Every year, as Earth passes through the orbital path of Comet Halley, bit and pieces shed by this comet burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere as Eta Aquarid meteors.

Bottom line: The 2016 Eta Aquarid meteor shower should be at or near its best on May 6 from 3 a.m. until dawn. This shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, and the tropical and subtropical latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Best of all, the new moon on May 6 guarantees a dark sky watching the 2016 Eta Aquarid meteor shower.

Author

Bruce McClure

Bruce McClure is the chief writer for the popular EarthSky Tonight pages. Since joining EarthSky in 2004, he has written thousands of astronomy articles, enjoyed here by millions. He also writes, gives planetarium shows and hosts a wide assortment of public astronomy programs in and around his home in upstate New York. If you ask an astronomy question on our site, it’s likely to be Bruce that answers it. His love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, and he has sailed the North Atlantic, earning his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. Bruce is also a sundial aficionado. He says his number one passion – besides his wife Alice – is stargazing.

Article published on EarthSky

The Wisdom of Buddha

We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.

Your Daily Influences
May 5th, 2016

Page of Pentacles
Introversion. A healthy admiration for new ideas and scholarly pursuits. Reflective. Good management and organizational skills. A bearer of good tidings.

Othala
Othala represents a solid, immovable home, prosperity and safety. Good fortune based on your heritage and character is yours to enjoy.

The Swastika
Over the next weeks and months this aspect should be one that requires little effort on your part to keep things moving forward. This is one of the few charms that has the same meaning upright or inverted.

Your Daily Influences represent events and challenges the current day will present for you. They may represent opportunities you should be ready to seize. Or they may forewarn you of problems you may be able to avoid or lessen. Generally it is best to use them as tips to help you manage your day and nothing more.

Your Daily Charm for Today

The Crescent and Hand

Guests and visitors will come calling. Their visit brings happiness and joy. This aspect will reflect these emotions for weeks after the visit.

Crescents were worn by the ancients to safeguard them against witchcraft and danger. From the very early Eastern symbol, horseshoes came to be regarded by the Greeks and Romans as charms against sickness and the plague. In the middle ages horseshoes were used as amulets for witchcraft and even today are looked upon as lucky. When the representation of the hand of strength was worn with the crescent it signified hospitality and generosity. Hands of Might are painted on houses in Italy, Syria, Turkey and in the East to protect the buildings from misfortune and the inmates from death. The blue beads were worn to avert the evil eyes.

Your Past, Present, Future Reading

The three Mahjong tiles in this reading represent your past, present and future situations.

That Which is Behind You

North Wind
Symbol: Water
The North Wind tile indicates there will be difficult moments ahead. These can be canceled out if the South Wind Tile is in your reading as well.

Your Current Place

Bamboo
Symbol: Scholarship
The Bamboo tile indicates an adaptable, useful spirit. The Bamboo tile is also associated with scholarly pursuits.

That Which is Before You

Bamboo 2
Symbol: Duck
The Duck tile symbolizes a long lasting relationship with the strength to overcome all obstacles. It suggests fidelity and trustworthiness as well. Regardless of the type of partnership in question, the 2 Bamboo tile indicates a strong, healthy relationship.