Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Tuesday, May 3rd.  The sun rises at 6:30.  It’ll be up for 14 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 8:49.  The moon is new today, and won’t be visible.

Tonight in the sky: to the left of the constellation of Leo the lion, which lies in the south southwest at 10 p.m. is the next constellation of the zodiac: Virgo the maiden, seen in the south southeast.  Virgo is a large constellation of a reclining woman holding a stalk of wheat.  The bright star in the center of the constellation, Spica, is the head of that spike of wheat; and as such ruled over the harvest in two of Virgo’s guises as the goddesses Persephone and Ceres.  The planet Saturn is also in Virgo this year to the right of Spica.  Virgo is also identified as Astraea the goddess of justice.  The constellation of Libra, the scales, is found just east of her an hour later, only being half risen at 10 p.m.  Early Christians saw Virgo as the Virgin Mary.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Virgo at 10;30 p.m. May 3, 2011