Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Archive for May 18, 2010

Earthsky Tonight—May 18, Moon near Mars, Castor,

Earthsky Tonight—May 18, Moon near Mars, Castor, Pollux

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org At nightfall, the waxing crescent moon lines up with Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini the Twins. People often refer to these stars as ‘The Twins’ but they aren’t really twins at all. At a distance of about 34 light-years, Pollux wins acclaim as the closest giant star to our solar system. It’s one of the very few giant stars in our galaxy known to harbor a planet. Castor is farther ... Full Story