Fred Barrett | May 20, 2020


Well, Comet Atlas was a bust! I said in my April column that it might disintegrate and it did just that. It broke into multiple fragments and now needs a good telescope to be seen. But as luck would have it, there is a new comet that has the potential to give us a nice eye treat. It’s called Comet Swan and was only discovered April 11th. You will have an opportunity to see it both in early morning and early evening. Starting about May 15th, get up about 2 hours before sunrise and look low in the northeast. It would be best to use binoculars at first to find it and then you should be able to pick it out easily with eyes only. It will be between Aries and Andromeda and heading towards Perseus. It will be a better view in the evening after May 23rd. Start looking to the north-northwest just as twilight fades. Comet Swan will be just leaving Perseus and moving towards the bright star Capella in the constellation Auriga. It will be passing just below Capella on May 31st.

On May 21st Venus will be just a degree above Mercury in the west-northwest just after sunset. Have a look with your binoculars while you’re out looking for Comet Swan. In late May Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are a nice view in the southeast about 2 hours before sunrise. You might try for Comet Swan in the north east as well.

The Eta Aquariid Meteor shower peaks on May 5th but remnants of the shower should be seen as late as May 28th. The Eta Aquariid shower is one of 2 meteor showers caused by debris left behind by Halley’s Comet. The other is the Orionids in October.

I’m sorry that this month’s column is late. It will be back on its celestial track for June. Here are some highlights for the last half of May.

May 15th: Look for Comet Swan low in the northeast 2 hours before sunrise.

May 18th: The Moon is at apogee (farthest) – 403,230 Kms.

May 22nd: Mercury passes 1 degree south of Venus just after sunset. New Moon occurs.

May 23rd: Start looking for Comet Swan in the north-northwest as the sun sets.

May 29th: First quarter Moon.

Stay safe, stay separate and enjoy the sky. That’s a wrap. Keep looking up!

And don’t forget my favourite dance partners - Jupiter and her ever changing moons: Callisto, Io, Europa and Ganymede in the early morning!

“The Beginner’s Observing Guide by Leo Enright is an invaluable companion for adventures in the sky. It also contains useful star charts. It can be ordered from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada at www.rasc.ca/publications. A subscription to our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine “SkyNews” can be arranged at the RASC website as well.

Let me know how your observing has gone this month, especially anything unusual. I enjoy the feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions you can contact me through this paper or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Clear Skies! Fred.

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