Friday May 31, 2024

Bright Mercury near Modest Uranus (pre-dawn)

Before sunrise on Friday morning, May 31, look above the east-northeastern horizon for the bright dot of Mercury. Binoculars or a backyard telescope
will reveal 440 times fainter Uranus positioned a thumb's width to Mercury's upper left (or 1.3 degrees to the celestial north). The stars of the
Pleiades cluster aka Messier 45 will be located a palm's width to the left
of the two planets. Bright Jupiter will rise to join the party just before sunrise. Turn all optical aids away from the eastern horizon before the sun rises. Crescent Moon Crosses Saturn (pre-dawn)

When the waning crescent moon rises in the southeast around 2 a.m. local
time on Friday morning, May 31, it will be accompanied by Saturn. The duo
will be close enough to share the view in binoculars or a low power
telescope. They'll climb higher and shift south until the brightening sky
hides the ringed planet towards sunrise. Around 07:00 UT, observers in
southern South America and across the Atlantic to equatorial Africa can
watch the moon occult Saturn with binoculars and backyard telescopes D
albeit in daytime for the eastern regions of the event path.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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