Cosmic alignment, 'earthshine' to appear in Friday morning sky

The last astronomy event of May will appear in the sky at the end of the week, plus onlookers will have the chance to spot a phenomenon known as "earthshine."

The top astronomical alignment of May is about to greet night owls and early risers as the crescent moon aligns with Venus and Saturn Friday morning.

All three will be in a row in the eastern sky, with Saturn appearing to the right of the moon and Venus shining brightly below and to the left of the lunar crescent. The best viewing time will be about an hour before sunrise, which, for some areas, means looking skyward before 5 a.m. local time.

The trio will align again on Saturday morning — although in a different order — giving stargazers a second chance to see the event. Instead of the moon appearing between the two planets, it will shift to the left of Venus, and it will be an even thinner crescent than the previous morning.

As a bonus, onlookers may be able to see a phenomenon on the moon known as "earthshine." This only appears during the crescent phases when a sliver of the moon is illuminated brightly by the sun, while sunlight reflecting off the Earth casts a dim light on the rest of the planet-facing side of the moon.

Venus and Saturn will remain prominent planets in the predawn sky into June, with the moon set to sweep past the two celestial objects again around the middle of the month.

Report a Typo