The most minimal of penumbral lunar eclipses takes place Saturday night, though with clear skies, anyone can enjoy the nice May full moon. Look for Saturn east of the moon Wednesday night. Sunset triumvirate – Mercury, Jupiter, Venus are positioning themselves for a rare match-up.
When to Listen
SkyTalk is a weekly discussion of what's new and interesting in astronomy with Dr. Derrick Pitts and WHYY FM's Dave Heller every Monday evening during NewsWorks Tonight at 6 pm.
Nominate your name to travel to Mars
Not as big as the Big Bang, but this Big Blast blows away any other explosion ever seen by astronomers. The supermassive black hole at the core of our Milky Way galaxy is generating more heat than expected. And when NASA's MAVEN mission launches, you can add your name to those going along on the trip.
New moon = Dark skies = Great celestial viewing opportunities
For a challenge, check out the Eta Aquarid meteor shower through Friday, 5/10. For an easier challenge, there are planets aplenty overhead. Richard Branson's successful SpaceShip One Test last week puts the project on pace to offer passengers an out-of-this-world experience by this time next year.
Not too old for an "out of this world" walk
At the age of 59, International Space Station cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov set a new record last week by becoming the oldest spacewalker ever. Interested in going to Mars? Mars One project applications are being accepted through August 31! Night Sky highlights this week: Jupiter, Saturn and Venus.
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