Sunrise Sunset

Fri., May 4 5:34 7:42

Sat., May 5 5:33 7:43

Sun., May 6 5:32 7:44

Mon., May 7 5:31 7:45

Tues., May 8 5:30 7:46

Wed., May 9 5:28 7:47

Thurs., May 10 5:27 7:48

Fri., May 11 5:26 7:49

Say goodbye to Venus this month. The brightest planet, which sits high in the western sky after sunset, has attracted plenty of attention so far this year. The brilliant planet was the subject of a story last month about an Air Canada airline pilot who altered his flight pattern, thinking he was too close to another airplane. What he took to be another airplane was in fact Venus.

Venus remains high in the western sky through the coming week, but there will be a noticeable change in the nights ahead as the planet appears lower in the west each evening after sunset.

By the end of May, Venus will disappear from view. The earth’s closest planetary neighbor has an appointment to transit the sun late in the afternoon of June 5. After the transit, Venus appears to us as on the other side of the sun. By July, Venus will be our morning planet.

The ringed-planet Saturn was visited by the bright gibbous moon last night. The two rise in the eastern sky after sunset this weekend. Tomorrow the moon is full in the zodiacal constellation Libra. Saturn is right next to the bright star Spica, in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.

The red planet Mars is now high in our western sky after sunset. The planet is in the zodiacal constellation Leo. The planet retains its distinct reddish color, but it has lost some of its brilliance from a month ago. Mars is near Leo’s bright star Regulus.

M.A.L.