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Don't miss the crescent moon shining close to Mars on May 31

Don't miss the crescent moon shining close to Mars on May 31

Yahoo01-06-2025
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The moon will appear to skip over Mars between the nights of May 31 and June 1, appearing to grow ever larger ahead of its first quarter phase next week.
Stargazers in the U.S. can find the moon roughly 35 degrees above the western horizon an hour after sunset on May 31, with the stars of the constellations Leo (left) and Cancer (right) shining on either side. Mars will be visible as a bright reddish point of light approximately 7 degrees to the upper left of the sickle moon. Remember, you can judge distances in the night sky using nothing but your outstretched fist: The distance between your thumb and the other side of your clenched fist will take up around 10 degrees of sky, while the width of a single finger accounts for 1 degree.
Aside from the Red Planet, the famous Beehive Cluster of stars will be visible to the lunar disk's lower right near the center of the cosmic crab, represented by the stars of the Cancer constellation. While the Beehive Cluster is visible to the naked eye under dark skies, a pair of 10x50 binoculars will bring out the majesty of the 1,000-strong 'hive' of stars.
The moon is set to make its closest apparent approach to Mars at 6:52 a.m. EDT (1052 GMT) on June 1, at which time the two worlds will be separated by a little over 1 degree in the sky, according to stargazing site in-the-sky.org. This will happen during the day for stargazers in the U.S., while the pair are hidden well below the horizon.
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By the time the sun sets on June 1, the moon will have skipped past Mars to appear on the Red Planet's upper left, with a little over 5 degrees separating the two solar system bodies. Regulus, one of the northern hemisphere's brightest stars, will be visible shining to the left of the moon soon after twilight falls. Its crescent form will appear to travel around the bright star as the night unfolds, before eventually setting atop it around midnight local time.
The next night will see the moon appear fuller ahead of its first quarter phase on June 2, at which point half of its disk will be bathed in direct sunlight from the perspective of Earth.
Photographers hoping to capture the wonders of our solar system after sunset should check out our guides on the best cameras and best lenses for astrophotography. Those looking to see the light cast out from distant stars and galaxies should also read up on our roundups of the best binocular and telescopes deals available in 2025.
Editor's Note: If you snap a picture of the moon and Mars and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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Congressional committees push back on Trump's proposed NOAA budget cuts
Congressional committees push back on Trump's proposed NOAA budget cuts

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time20 minutes ago

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Congressional committees push back on Trump's proposed NOAA budget cuts

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Shop your favorite Hoka styles on sale for up to 36% off
Shop your favorite Hoka styles on sale for up to 36% off

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time21 minutes ago

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Shop your favorite Hoka styles on sale for up to 36% off

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Here's How To Save the Food in Your Fridge During a Power Outage
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If a summer heat wave knocks out your power, the food in your refrigerator and freezer is at risk of spoiling, which can be costly and inconvenient. However, a little preparation can help keep the majority of your groceries safe and fresh until the power returns. While you may not be able to save everything, depending on the length of the outage, there are ways to keep most of your perishables fresh when the fridge stops running. CNET Here's everything to know. How long is food good in fridge without power? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), food in the refrigerator will stay cold for about four hours as long as your keep the doors closed, while a full freezer can stay frozen for up to 48 hours. If you want to be extra safe, you can keep an appliance thermometer in your freezer, which can help confirm the freezer stayed below 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the power outage. If it did, all of the food is safe to be refrozen, the FDA states. Make a plan to save your food before a power outage strikes Before you face a power outage, it's best to take a few steps to prepare in case you need to save your food. The recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to have the following items on hand: Do this first to save your food when the power goes out When an outage hits, keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed -- don't open them up unless you absolutely need to, and even then, try to do so quickly so as not to let the cold air out. If the doors stay closed, your food can stay safe for up to four hours in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer and 24 hours in a half-full freezer, according to the CDC. Once you've passed the four-hour mark (or if you see the temperature inside the fridge has risen to over 40 degrees Fahrenheit) and the power is still out, it's time to start moving food out of the fridge. If perishable food has been left in the fridge after that point, you'll have to throw it all out. The exception here would be if you have dry ice. You can put dry ice on the top shelf of your freezer and the bottom shelf of your refrigerator, and it will keep your perishables cold. You need about 3 pounds of dry ice per cubic foot of freezer space, which should keep food cold for at least two days. Just make sure you're aware of how to safely handle dry ice before using it. If the power is out for more than four hours, you should move your perishable food to a cooler. fishysam/Getty Images Separate your food into two groups First, you will make two piles: food that absolutely must be kept cold, and food that is safe to leave on the counter until the power is back on. Foods that do not need to be kept cold The following foods can be safely kept out of the fridge: Butter (for 1-2 days) Peanut butter Most cooking oils, except for nut oils Herbs Potatoes Most fruits and vegetables Bread Coffee Honey Ketchup, mustard and hot sauce Foods that need to be kept cold The following foods must be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to prevent bacteria growth and spoilage: Dairy products (cheese, milk, whipped cream, sour cream) Eggs Meats, poultry and fish (cooked or uncooked) Cut fruit and vegetables Leftovers How to keep your perishable food cold without a refrigerator Once you've got your pile of perishable food, it's time to pull out your cooler and ice packs. Put a layer of frozen food at the bottom. Then put a layer of foods from the fridge on top of that layer. Top it off with another layer of frozen foods. If you don't have any ice or ice packs, go to the store and buy some if it's safe to do so. Layer ice or ice packs around the food in the cooler -- don't just throw it all on top or bottom. Distributing the ice will keep the food at a more consistent temperature. Move your fridge thermometer inside the cooler to monitor the temperature. If you don't have a cooler, you can use your freezer instead -- it's insulated and will keep your food cold as long as you leave the door shut and keep a fresh supply of ice in it. To prevent melting ice from turning your freezer into a pond, put ice in bowls and place them around the food. You should never taste food to see if it's gone bad -- when in doubt, throw it out, the CDC advises. Throw away any food with unusual odors, colors or textures right away. In terms of frozen foods, you can safely refreeze or cook thawed frozen food that is at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, or that still contains ice crystals. For more power outage tips, learn everything you need to know about home generators and consider whether a home battery backup might be a better option.

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