Today:
April ends with a challenging farewell to Jupiter, dominating the evening skies through the winter, but now fading into the sunset, literally. You’ll have to find a low, level view to the west-northwest, and scan the horizon for a bright, subdued point of light, from about 8:15 to 8:30 PM. Jupiter takes some time off through mid-June, when it returns to the morning skies.
Wednesday:
Today is May Day, and is known in the Celtic tradition as Beltane, marking the traditional half-way point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. These mid-points of the seasons are called “cross-quarter days”, as they are exactly between the “quarter days”, marking the beginning of each season.
Thursday:
The next few mornings award early risers with some interesting planetary arrangements just as the blush of dawn arrives in the east. Tomorrow, a waning Crescent Moon rises along side of Saturn, to its left, climbing to a better viewing height from 4:30 to 4:45 AM, before th brightening twilight overwhelms them. Well to their left, a bit lower is Mars – the Moon’s destination Saturday and Sunday mornings.