On May 9, Hawaii will be the only state to see the first solar eclipse of 2013. At the peak of the eclipse, at 3:48 p.m., a viewer using a safe filter will see 44 percent of the sun blocked by the moon.
As seen from Honolulu, the eclipse will start at 2:23 p.m. as the moon starts to slide across the solar disk. The "bite" will get bigger and bigger until the peak at 3:48 p.m., then smaller and smaller, ending at 5:01 p.m.
These times will vary a little elsewhere in the islands; in Lihue, for example, the partial eclipse starts at 2:20 p.m. and ends at 4:58 p.m. In Hilo it starts at 2:25 p.m. and is over at 5:04 p.m.
It can’t be emphasized enough that it is never safe to view a partial solar eclipse without appropriate eye protection. If any part of the sun’s disc is still visible, there is the danger of permanent eye damage. Bishop Museum’s Shop Pacifica does have safe solar filters available for about $2, a good, cheap and safe option.
From 2 to 5 p.m. at the museum, volunteers from the Hawaiian Astronomical Society will have their telescopes on campus with solar-viewing filters. Our observatory will be open from 2 to 5 p.m., weather permitting, and we will present a planetarium program on eclipses at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. This programming is included with regular Bishop Museum admission.
MAY PLANETS
Three planets do a sky ballet in late May. Jupiter, our constant evening companion since September, appears lower and lower in the west through May, and will vanish into the light of the sun by June. Meanwhile, Venus, lost in the sun since January, enters the evening sky in May. Mercury joins the gathering at the end of the month.
In early May, Jupiter is one-third of the way up in the west at dusk and sets by 9:30 p.m., giving us only a couple of hours to catch the king of the planets. Each night the planet will be just a little lower in the sky at dusk and will set a little earlier. Jupiter sets by 9 p.m. in the middle of May and by 8:10 p.m. by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Venus emerges from the dusk by the second week in May. Looks for Venus as early as May 10, very low in the west at 7:20 p.m. Around May 10, Venus sets by 7:50 p.m. Venus remains low in the west for the remainder of the month, setting around 8:20 p.m. at the end of May. Given its brilliance, you should be able to find Venus easily in the last half of the month if you have a clear, flat western horizon.
Mercury reappears as well in the May sky. Look for it around 7:30 p.m. on May 19, just below Venus. On that night Mercury is nearly as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. For the rest of the month, use Venus to locate Mercury: It will be just to the right of Venus on the 23rd, and above Venus for the rest of the month. Mercury fades in brightness as the month goes on.
The real story about Venus, Jupiter and Mercury later this month, however, is the series of conjunctions they make in the west at dusk. All of the gatherings happen close to the horizon, so make sure you have a completely unobstructed view of the west — over the sea, for example.
» May 15: At about 7:20 p.m, Jupiter will appear above Venus. Mercury is not visible yet.
» May 21: Around 7:45 p.m., Venus is still below Jupiter, but closer, and above Mercury, which is dimmer than the two other planets but still brighter than every star but Sirius.
» May 23: Around 8 p.m., Venus remains below Jupiter, with Mercury off to the right, so the planets make a triangle very close to the horizon. Venus and Mercury set by 8:15.
» May 26: Around 8 p.m., the planets make a tight, perfect equilateral triangle. Venus sets by 8:15 p.m.
» May 30: Around 7:45 p.m., the planets form a line, with Venus in the middle, Jupiter on the bottom and Mercury on top. Jupiter sets about 8:05 p.m.
Saturn is about 20 degrees up in the east at dusk in early May, and sets in the west at dawn. By the end of May, Saturn is almost halfway up in the east at dusk and sets in the west just before 4 a.m.
LAHAINA NOON
In the tropics the sun passes directly overhead twice a year. For Honolulu, the first of these "overhead noon" events occurs on May 26 at 12:28 p.m.
Lahaina Noon dates vary depending on latitude. Here are the dates and times for May: Hilo, 12:16 p.m. May 18; Kailua-Kona, 12:20 p.m. May 18; Kahului, Maui, 12:22 p.m. May 24; Lahaina, Maui, 12:23 p.m. May 24; Lanai City, 12:24 p.m. May 24; Kaunakakai, Molokai, 12:24 p.m. May 25; Kaneohe, 12:28 p.m. May 27; and Lihue, Kauai, 12:35 p.m. May 30.
ETA AQUARID SHOWER
This meteor shower peaks on the evenings of May 4-5 and May 5-6. This is a light shower, 10 meteors or so per hour. As always, viewing is better from midnight till dawn on both evenings. Focus your attention on the eastern sky, though the streaks could appear anywhere.
MAY SKY MAP
This map is good for 11 p.m. in early May and 9 p.m. at the end of the month. The last of the winter constellations, Gemini, rests on the western horizon on the map. Scorpius rises in the southeast. Due south, you have the best chance during the year to catch the Southern Cross ("Crux") and the brilliant stars Alpha and Beta Centauri, which point to the Cross.
In the northeast, classic constellations of the summer are already visible, including Corona Borealis, Hercules and Lyra the Harp.
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Mike Shanahan is director of Education, Exhibits and Planetarium. For more information, go to www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium/planetarium.html
