MAY SKIES

Evening Planets:

Jupiter is visible in the West as evening twilight fades. Each evening the planet is losing altitude and setting earlier into the Dusk twilight. Jupiter is relatively easy to see during the first two weeks of the month. After that Jupiter is moving into the bright Dusk twilight and will become hard to see. The last week of the month, Jupiter will be more difficult to see as it gets much lower on the Western horizon and into the bright Dusk twilight.

Mars is up in the SW as evening twilight fades. The planet slow Eastward movement helps keeps Mars from moving into the bright dusk twilight. As the month progresses, the planet moves from the Constellation of Cancer and into the Constellation of Leo. The planet has a noticeable drop in brightness through out the month.

Morning Planets:

Saturn now rises after Dawn breaks in the East. The planet is very slowly gaining some altitude before the bright Dawn twilight over powers it. At the start of the month, Saturn is near Venus. However, each morning Saturn is slowly moving up and away from Venus. As the month comes to an end, Saturn has distant himself from Venus. Saturn maintains its dull brightness and color all month long.

Venus is much brighter than Saturn and her white color is easier to spot than Saturn’s dull yellow color. However, Venus holds a relatively low sky position in the Eastern twilight all month long. The planet also loses some brightness as the month progresses.

Mercury is visible with some difficulty in the Eastern Dawn sky. The planet rises after Venus does and is stuck in the bright Dawn twilight. After 15 May, Mercury starts losing altitude fast and moves into the bright Dawn twilight. In another week, Mercury has moved into the very bright Dawn twilight and is lost from view.

2 May Waxing Crescent Moon lower left of bright star Pollux, Dusk

3 May Moon above Mars, Dusk

5 May Waxing Gibbous Moon left of bright star Regulus, Evening

5 – 6 May Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower

9 May Waxing Gibbous Moon upper right of bright star Spica, Evening

10 May Moon slightly below and right of Mars, Evening

23 May Crescent Moon above and between Saturn and Venus, Dawn

31 May Crescent Moon right of Mars, Evening

Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower:

May’s best meteor shower will happen on the night of 5 -6 May. The just past First Quarter Moon will be present for most of the night and will interfere with observing the meteors. That Moon will be in the sky until about 02:30 am when it sets. There will be a short dark observing window until 04:00 am when the Dawn’s light will become bright enough to interfere with seeing the meteors. About 10 meteors per hour are predicted to be seen during that short observing window. On occasion, this weak meteor shower could produce a few yellow-colored meteors with glowing trails which are sometimes called trains. This weak meteor shower is not well positioned to have a favorable viewing condition.

Gary T. Nowak

Vermont Astronomical Society

Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers