SkyEye

Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).

The Sun and Moon

There are no eclipses this month.

As seen from the Earth, the Sun is moving from the constellation Aries to the constellation Taurus.

The phases of the Moon are

Full : 7 May
Last Quarter : 15 May
New : 23 May
First Quarter : 29 May

The Moon is at perigee on 2 May, at apogee on 15 May, and at perigee again on 27 May.

Two planets fall prey to occulation by the Moon this month. Saturn slips behind the disc of the Moon on 23 May and Jupiter disappears briefly the next day. Unfortunately, all three bodies are too close to the Sun to be able to view these events.

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
Mercury reaches greatest elongation east on 22 May. and is best viewed from the northern hemisphere where it vaults into the western sky just after sunset. Mercury is in the constellations Aries and Taurus.
Venus
Venus continues to climb ever higher in the eastern sky just before sunrise. Southern hemisphere observers get the best views of the "morning star" in the constellation Pisces.
Mars
The red planet begins retrograde motion on 11 May and heads back towards the bright star Antares. Compare the colour of the two. Mars can be found in the constellations Ophiuchus and Sagittarius.
Jupiter
This gas giant is heading towards next month's conjunction with the Sun and thus is extremely difficult to observe in the constellation Taurus.
Saturn
Saturn arrives at conjunction on 25 May in the constellation Taurus and cannot be observed this month.
Uranus
Rising after midnight, Uranus reaches west quadrature on 15 May. On 29 May, this distant gas giant begins to retrograde. Uranus can be seen in the constellation Capricornus.
Neptune
Neptune can be found not far from Uranus in the constellation Capricornus. It begins retrograde motion on 10 May.
Pluto
The outermost planet in the solar system is up nearly all night in the constellation Ophiuchus.

Minor Planets, Comets and Meteors

Minor Planets
A number of interesting minor planets populate the solar system.
Comets
There are no naked-eye comets visible this month.
Meteors
The nearly Full Moon ruins any chances of seeing the Eta Aquariids at their peak on 5 May.

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

Southern Hemisphere : 30° S

For More Information...

Credits

Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of Sky & Telescope and in other fine amateur astronomy magazines 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.

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Last modified on 30 April 2001
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