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May 30, 2024Radio: Today’s Episode
Moon and Saturn
Diving into a new ocean
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Radio: Yesterday’s Episode
The Hand
The hand of the serpent bearer
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Stargazing
Moon and Saturn
Look for the planet Saturn especially close to the Moon in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. The ringed planet looks like a bright star just above the Moon at dawn.
The Hand
Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, is in the east and southeast at nightfall. The snake’s head is above Ophiuchus, with its tail below. The left hand of Ophiuchus, which holds the snake’s head, is marked by the stars Yed Prior and Yed Posterior.
Slimmed-Down Cluster
The star cluster Messier 12 probably is more than 16,000 light-years away, and it contains about 200,000 stars packed into a tight ball. The cluster is in Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, which is in the east and southeast at nightfall. You need a telescope to see M12.
Moon Phases
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing Earth is illuminated (position 1 in illustration). In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later (3). At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight (5).
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