Fri May 13, 2016 MOON AND JUPITER, PLANETARIUM SHOW

The moon is in its waxing gibbous phase. That’s when it looks egg-shaped; but give it a few more days and it will be all the way round and full. Tonight it’s entered the constellation of Leo the Lion, and you should find it very near the lion’s heart, a star called Regulus, a little bit off to the left of the moon. Farther to the left is a very bright star, which is not really a star at all, but the planet Jupiter. Tomorrow night, because of its orbital motion, the moon will be even closer to Jupiter. If you’d like to see the moon and Jupiter through a telescope, come on out to Indian River State College’s Hallstrom Planetarium tonight. I’m giving a 6 o’clock and 7:30 p.m. lecture on the planet Pluto (am I allowed to call it a planet? Well, let’s find out!) Anyway, after the shows, members of the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society will be on hand to provide guided views of the moon and Jupiter through their telescopes, weather permitting of course.