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| THE COLONY NEWS | MAY 2024 | 19 | THE COLONY NEWS | MAY 2024 | 19 In Memoriam Gilbert Ashdown Mildred McGlasham (founder) Barbara Perry Betty Sanders Eduardo Santiago Doris Victor Ann Walling By Mike Vergara, 951-473-5806 May is here! And with it comes the springtime sky. Alas, we have no planets visible at night right now. That is, unless you get a quick view of Jupiter in the west just after sunset, or if you're an early bird, you might catch a glimpse of Mercury, Mars, and Saturn just before sunrise in the eastern sky. We won't have any nighttime planets visible until midsummer. May's full moon is on the 25th and is known as the "Full Flower Moon." Most Native American names for this month's full moon reference the fullness of spring in their names. Some of these names include the "Leaf Budding Moon," "Egg Laying Moon," and "Planting Moon." There is the possibility of something unique happening in the next few months, between now and September, in the constellation called Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown). There may be a nova outburst from one of the stars of the crown. The star "T Coronae Borealis" (or T-CrB for short) is a white dwarf star that orbits a red giant star. As they orbit together, the white dwarf pulls solar material from its partner onto itself. Every 80 years or so, enough material has been pulled onto the surface of the white dwarf that it explodes, and the white dwarf blows off the accumulated material. This is called a periodic nova. The result is that a star suddenly appears where none was visible before. The last time T-CrB had an outburst was in 1946. The star usually dims noticeably before it explodes, and it's been dimming since March 2023. When T-CrB explodes, it will get about as bright as Mars, and will be visible for about a week or so before it fades back to its normal size. To find where the planets and constellations are, visit http://skymaps.com/index.html. From there you can print your own map of the sky for the month. Clear skies! May Night Sky May Night Sky