Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).
Brief Calendar of Events
1 |
Thu |
Moon at apogee |
New Moon |
3 |
Sat |
3 Juno at opposition |
4 |
Sun |
Neptune at west quadrature |
6 |
Tue |
Eta Aquariids meteor shower |
7 |
Wed |
Mercury at inferior conjunction - transit of Mercury |
9 |
Fri |
First Quarter Moon |
15 |
Thu |
Moon at perigee |
16 |
Fri |
Full Moon |
Total lunar eclipse |
23 |
Fri |
Last Quarter Moon |
24 |
Sat |
Uranus at west quadrature |
28 |
Wed |
Moon at apogee |
31 |
Sat |
New Moon |
Annular lunar eclipse |
The Sun and Moon
As seen from the Earth, the Sun is moving from the constellation Aries to the constellation Taurus.
Very high tides are expected on the first of the month when lunar apogee coincides with New Moon.
The second Full Moon in a calendar month is popularly called a Blue Moon but what about the second New Moon?
The Planets
The word planet is derived from the Greek word for "wanderer." Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars.
- Mercury
- After its rare transit of the Sun on 7 May, Mercury is visible in the morning sky from mid-month. It appears in very close proximity with its neighbour Venus on 21 May. Southern hemisphere observers will get the best views. Mercury can be found in the constellation Aries.
- Venus
- The "morning star" is quite high in the dawn sky for viewers in the southern hemisphere but it is starting to descend toward the horizon. Northern observers have a much worse view of this bright planet. Look for Venus before sunrise in the constellations Pisces and Aries.
- Mars
- The red planet does not rise until after midnight in the constellation Capricornus.
- Jupiter
- The largest planet in the solar system is finally moving away from M44, the Beehive Cluster, in the constellation Cancer. It may be seen in the evening, setting as Mars rises.
- Saturn
- Saturn sets by mid-evening so get out early to see it in the constellations Taurus and Orion.
- Uranus
- This distant gas giant reaches west quadrature on 24 May in the constellation Aquarius.
- Neptune
- Not far from Uranus in the sky, this blue planet arrives at west quadrature on the fourth of the month. Neptune is in the constellation Capricornus.
- Pluto
- The outermost planet in the solar system is up nearly all night in the constellation Ophiuchus.
Minor Planets, Comets and Meteors
- Minor Planets
- On 3 May, 3 Juno is at opposition in the constellation Libra but you will need optical aids to see it as it will reach only tenth magnitude.
- Comets
- There are no naked-eye comets visible this month.
- Meteors
- The Moon sets before the radiant of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower rises. This shower is best seen from the southern hemisphere.
The Celestial Sphere
Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognises 88 different constellations. The brightest stars as seen from the Earth are easy to spot but do you know their proper names? With a set of binoculars you can look for fainter objects such as nebulae and galaxies or some of the closest stars to the Sun.
Descriptions of the sky for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres are available for the following times this month. Subtract one hour from your local time if daylight savings time is in effect. (Note: These times are approximate.)
Northern Hemisphere : 45° N
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
Southern Hemisphere : 30° S
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
For More Information...
- Consult our online glossary for non-technical explanations of many of the astronomical terms used in these pages.
- Blue moons, eclipses, the dates of Easter and much more can be found at the Interactive Astronomy Pages.
- For more information about the objects and events described in SkyEye, visit these astronomy-related sites.
Credits
Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of your favourite amateur astronomy magazine available in your local bookshop. Another excellent source is the current edition of the Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell and published by the Universal Workshop at Furman University.
The image of the Sun in the SkyEye banner is courtesy of the SOHO/EIT consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Used with permission.
Copyright © 1995-2003 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman
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Obliquity
Last modified on 30 April 2003
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