Today:
April 2nd was the last time the Moon had a close encounter with Spica. At that time the Moon was barely Past full. This time the Moon is nearly full, set to be full again on May 1st. This evening, it won’t be until around 8:30 that the twilight will dim to the point where Spica will become visible. By that time, you can find the Moon about a quarter of the way up in the southeast, the bluish Spica just below the Moon, and to its left.
Thursday:
The waxing Gibbous Moon is just one day from being Full, known in May as the “Flower” Moon. This is a great time to see one of the Moon’s prominent craters, Tycho. Binoculars show it near the bottom as a hub for a series of lines radiating outward, or “rays”, caused when a meteor crashed into the Moon 110 million years ago.
Friday:
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. Typically, this celebration was tied to the Full Moon, which coincidently shines tonight as the Full “Flower” Moon.