The Moon and four planets make this time of 2009 an especially interesting period to gaze at the night sky. The Moon is, of course, our closest neighbor in space and the second brightest object in the sky after the Sun. After the Sun sets and the sky begins to grow dark, depending on the date the Moon may be the first object to appear in the night sky. As the sky grows darker, look in the west and the first star-like object to appear will be the planet Saturn. On May 4th, May 31st, and June 27th, you will find the Moon nearby Saturn.
The slowly, the real stars will appear, the brightest ones first. To the west of Saturn will be the bright reddish star Regulus, the heart of Leo, the Lion. To the east of Saturn will be Arcturus and Spica. Arcturus is higher in the sky and Spica more toward the south.
As the Earth continues to turn, the planets and stars will set in the west and new objects will rise in the east. Around 12:30 a.m. the largest of all planets, Jupiter, will rise. Wait an hour or so for Jupiter to climb higher in the sky and you will easily spot this bright planet. Even though Jupiter is the largest of all the planets, it still looks star-like. On May 17th and June 13th you will find that the Moon has joined Jupiter.
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