Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Thursday, May 26th.  Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 10 minutes, setting at 9:14.   The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:04 tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:03.

The bright star below and left of the planet Saturn these evenings is the 15th brightest night time star in the sky, called Spica.  I’ve found that some pronounce it “Speeka”.  Either is correct.  It is the stalk of wheat the constellation Virgo is holding.  Spica is actually two stars in a tight 4 day orbit of each other.  They are both reasonably matched in mass and brightness.  Astronomers give it a spectral type B which is a slightly blue star.  I found out that once photographing a lunar eclipse near Spica,  The star came out very blue.  The twin stars of Spica are 260 light years away.  I’m glad the stars are young now.  They will have a very interesting future as they age and interact in the next few million years.

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

Addendum

Follow the Spike to Spica, 5/26/2011

Note the unlables Saturn near Spics.  The cross near the handle of the Big Dipper ro tail of Ursa major is the zenith at 11 p.m.