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BASIL May 2025

The front cover of BASIL shows a photo of the recent visit by BAS members to the Herschel Museum in Bath and more photos and details of the visit are included.

It's again been a very busy month for members' astrophotography and this month includes:

• Globular Cluster M3, by Jane Clark.
• Jupiter and Mars, by Chris Lee.
• 10 day-old Gibbous Moon, by Andrew Grasemann.
• Solar Eclipse Sequence, by Mikail Fahad.
• One Night, 45 Moons, by Bob Holder-White (former BAS member).

Key topics for May include:

• Asteroid 4 Vesta at opposition on 2 May (also see latest astronomy news item: 'Vesta's missing core shatters long-held beliefs about the asteroid').
• η-Lyrid meteor shower 3-14 May, with peak rate around 8 May.
• 5 solar system events in the month.
• New solar cycle progression predictions.
• Mars and Jupiter may be observed during the month.
• Observe the 'Flower Moon' and the Lunar Apennines with a small telescope.
• 21 DSO observing targets are listed for the month.
• May is a good month to observe the Virgo Galaxy Cluster / Makarians Chain.
• Constellation of the month is Canes Venatici, which is well placed to observe, with links to star charts and DSO targets.
• Latest astronomy news – including news that a vast molecular cloud, long invisible, is discovered near our solar system.

Society News includes the programme of meeting and events up to June 2025.

Finally, Marcus Aurelius said: "He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the Universe".