Dining & Nightlife | Astronomy

On May 5, 2011, Bonhams will hold another of its famous “Space History” auctions. Bonhams first auction, which took place in 2009, was the highest-grossing American space history auction ever; just consider that an Apollo 11 flight plan, inscribed by Neil Armstrong (“One small step for a man”), sold for $152,000, and that Michael Collins’ “Flown Apollo 11” emblem went for $85,400. Are we really in an economic downturn?

Also on May 5th, but this time way back in 1961, Alan Shepard Jr. became the first American space traveler. On May 14th, 1973, the first US Space station, Skylab, launched on a Saturn rocket. Far more recently, on the 18th of May, 1991, Helen Sharman became the first Briton to travel in space when she blasted off aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. (Isn’t the Soyuz supposed to carry American astronauts aloft once the shuttle is scuttled? How ironic.)

In the Sky this May
Saturn will be the only planet visible to the naked eye in the early evening throughout the month of May.

Important May Dates
May 5–6: The Eta Aquarids meteor shower will peak on the 5th and 6th of May, with some meteors remaining visible on the 7th. Look towards the east. Best viewing is after midnight and from a dark location such as Southold (the Custer Institute’s home town) or Montauk Point.

May 11: There will be a conjunction of Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. This means these planets will appear very close together in the sky. In fact, they will appear close together most of the month, with Mars showing itself just a little further away. Early risers can look for these bright planets in the eastern skies just before dawn.