Ephemeris: 05/27/2024 The evening sky is transitioning into summer

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 9:17, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:02. The Moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 1:36 tomorrow morning.

The sky tonight at 10:30 is beginning to show the transition from spring to summer. Antares in Scorpius is very low in the southeast, rising and chasing away Orion who has disappeared in the West. According to Greek mythology, at least in one story, Orion was killed by the sting of a giant scorpion and so neither he nor Scorpius the scorpion can be in the sky at the same time. The bright star Spica in Virgo the virgin is due South at that time, with Leo the lion in the southwest. Very high in the southeast is the star Arcturus. The Big Dipper is overhead. And in the east-northeast high up this is the bright star Vega, one of the stars of the summer triangle. The second star of the triangle Deneb is lower in the northeast. The third star has yet to rise.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The Dome of the sky at 10:30 PM tonight, May 27th, 2024. Showing are the constellations the front part of Scorpius, rising; Virgo and Leo. The Big Dipper is unmarked but easily spotted nearly overhead. Also named are the first magnitude stars visible, including some winter stars that are about to leave our sky, and at our latitude (45° N) Capella which never leaves the sky. In the eastern part of the sky are the summer stars Antares, Vega and Deneb. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.