A clear night sky offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects to see, including stars, constellations, and bright planets. It is possible to observe the night sky with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful. You can use the N2YO.com Satellite Tracker page to find out when to go. Skywatching terms, Night Sky observing tips and further reading can be found below.
You can use any of the best cameras for astronomy, along with a selection of the best lens for astronomy.
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Night Sky Guides.
In May, Venus will be passing by Jupiter in a very close conjunction, visible in the eastern sky before sunrise. The two planets will be close enough to see each other in binoculars. On Sunday, May 1, Venus and Jupiter will appear together in the eyepiece of a backyard telescope, where six times brighter Venus will exhibit a 68%-illuminated disk, and Jupiter will be accompanied by its four Galilean moons. The two planets will appear in the sky at 4:30 a.m. in your local time zone, and remain visible until 90 minutes later. The pair of planets will be visible in the sky at lower latitudes.
Mercury shines just to the left of the bright Pleiades star cluster in the evening of May 1st. They will see their meet-up with binoculars. The stars of the cluster will be easier to see as the sky becomes darker. By that time, you will be able to see them less clearly because of the thickness of Earth's atmosphere. Mercury will be near the cluster for several nights.
On Monday, May 2, the crescent moon will be visible above the horizon. The bright, magnitude 0.75 dot of Mercury will shine four finger width to the moon's lower right, which is close enough to share the view in binoculars. There is a star cluster just to Mercury's lower right.
On Wednesday evening, May 4, the waxing crescent moon will shine in the western sky, shining several finger width to the right of the large open star cluster in the constellation of Sagittarius. The moon will appear a little closer to the cluster for observers west of the Eastern Time Zone. The moon and Messier 35 will see each other. The moon can be hidden just beyond the right side of your field of view to make it easier to see the cluster. The stars that form Castor are Tejat Posterior and Tejat Prior. Even when the moon is not there, they can help you find the cluster.
The material left behind by the comet is what causes the annual shower. The peak of the shower will be before dawn on Friday, May 6, when up to a few dozen meteors per hour are predicted to appear, including some fireballs. The moon will be 23%illuminated and will hide the fainter streaks until it sets around midnight. After 2:30 a.m. local time, the Eta-Aquariids will appear to be travelling away from a point in Aquarius. The planets Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn will be below the sun. The shower is better for people at low latitudes.
On Saturday night, May 7, the waxing gibbous moon will travel through the open star cluster in Cancer known as the Beehive, Praesepe, and Messier 44. The moon will shine several finger width to the upper right (or 3.5 degrees to the north of the cluster) after dusk. The moon will move closer to the Beehive towards midnight. If you hide the moon just outside of your field of view, you will see more of the bees.
At 8:21 p.m., the moon will have completed the first quarter of its journey around Earth. On Sunday, May 8 and Monday, May 9 the relative positions of the Earth, sun, and moon will cause us to see our natural satellite half-illuminated. The moon sets at midnight and rises at noon, so it can be seen in the daytime. When the moon is lit by low-angled sunlight, the evenings surrounding the first quarter phase are the best times to view it. The lunar X and V features will be visible for several hours in parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean.
The western rim of the Sea of Rains will be reached by the lunar terminator on May 11. The northwestern part of the moon is dominated by that dark, circular feature. The largest impact basin on the moon is the mare. It was formed during the late heavy bombardment period. There are several ghost craters and several subtlewrinkle ridges around the major craters of Mare Imbrium.
The mountain chains that encircle the rim of Mare Imbrium will be visible on May 12. The Montes Alpes is the most northerly of the mountains. The Alpine Valley is where the moon has dropped between parallel faults and can be seen with a telescope or binoculars. The Montes Caucasus are to the southeast of the Alps. Under the lava-flooded zone connecting Mare Imbrium with Mare Serenitatis, the mountain range disappears. The southern edge of Mare Imbrium is bordered by the Apennine Mountains. They are not seen near the crater Eratosthenes. Near the crater, there is a ring of Montes Carpatus. The Bay of Rainbows is on the opposite side of the mare.
A total lunar eclipse will be visible in eastern North America, Central America, and South America on May 15. As the moon rises at dusk, the eclipse will be visible for the rest of North America, Hawaii, and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Western Europe and Africa will only see the later stages of the moon. This is a long and deep eclipse. The first contact with the umbra takes place at 10:38 pm. The time is 9:28 p.m. On May 16. It will last from 11:29 pm. The time is 8:29 p.m. Until 12:54 a.m. on May 16. The time is 9:54 p.m. For a total of 85 minutes. During the eclipse, watch for the northern limb to be dark, and for the stars of Scorpius to return to view. You can observe lunar eclipses with your eyes, binoculars, and telescopes.
At 12:14 a.m., the moon will reach its full phase. On Monday, May 16. May's full moon always shines in or near the stars of Scorpius. Every culture has its own stories about the full moon, and has assigned special names to each full moon. The Ojibwe groups of the Great Lakes region call the May full moon Zaagibagaa-giizis. Mother Earth provides healing medicines. The Frog Moon is when the Frogs become active in ponds and swamps. When the fields are sown, the Cherokee call it Ahnisguti. The Full Milk Moon, Full Flower Moon, or Full Corn Planting Moon is what Europeans call the moon. The contrast between the bright, ancient, cratered highlands and the darker, younger, smoother maria is enhanced when fully illuminated. A blood moon is when the moon is in full eclipse.
On the mornings of Wednesday, May 18 and Thursday, May 19 there will be a low in the southeastern sky before dawn that will carry Mars past Neptune. From May 16 to May 20 they will be able to see Mars approaching Neptune from the west in a backyard telescope. At the closest approach on Wednesday, look for Neptune to be positioned to the south of the moon. The arrangement shown here may be changed by your telescope. The planets will sit higher in the sky at the southerly latitudes.
On Sunday, May 22, the waning half-illuminated moon will begin its monthly trip past the bright planets gathered there. On Sunday, the moon will be visible as a dot with a slim palm above it. Mars and the brighter planets Venus and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye from their left.
The third quarter phase of the moon will be officially observed at 2:43 p.m. On Sunday, May 22. The moon is half-illuminated at third or last quarter. It will be visible until it sets in the western daytime sky in the late morning. In our trip around the Sun, third quarter moons are positioned ahead of the Earth. Earth will occupy that same location in space about 3 hours later. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase are the best for observing deep sky targets.
The waning crescent of the moon will shine a generous palm to the lower right of Mars. The grouping will be a pretty sight once they clear the treetops after about 4 am local time. The scene will make a great photo opportunity if it is composed with some interesting scenery. The moon will be close to Mars for observers in western North America.
During the hours before dawn on Wednesday, May 25th, the waning crescent moon will appear to be a palm to the left of Jupiter and to the right of Mars. Venus will make another fine photo opportunity by shining to the lower left of the trio.
A pretty sight will greet early risers in the eastern sky before sunrise on Friday, May 26 when the very slim crescent of the old moon will shine just to the lower left of the bright planet Venus. Mars and Jupiter will follow them. A telescope view of Venus will show a disk that is 76%illuminated. Venus will be farther away from Earth than the sun is. Before the sun rises, point away from the eastern horizon. Most of Southeast Asia, southeastern China, and most of Micronesia can see the moon and Venus in the daytime.
On the morning of Sunday, May 29th, Mars will pass by Jupiter in a very tight conjunction in the eastern sky. Both planets will be visible in a telescope from Friday to Tuesday, with Mars approaching from the right. At the closest approach on Sunday morning, Mars will be about the moon's diameter and below Jupiter. The best time to view will be 4-5 a.m.
On Monday, May 30 at 7:30 a.m. The moon will reach its new moon phase at 11:30 pm. Our natural satellite will be located in the north of the sun. The moon is travelling between Earth and the sun. When the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun, it becomes completely hidden from view on Earth for about a day. After the new moon phase, the night-light will return to shine as a crescent in the western evening sky.
Mercury will open May shining at magnitude 0.59 in the northwestern sky after sunset - completing its best evening appearance of the year for mid-northern latitude observers. On May 1, the planet will be positioned to the left of the star cluster. The young crescent moon will join them the next night. The best time to observe will be in the evening at 9 p.m. Telescope views of Mercury will show a waning crescent phase. From mid-month onward, Mercury will sink deeper into the evening twilight, rendering it unobservable. The sun will be at an inferior conjunction on May 21.
During May, Venus will dominate the eastern sky. On May 1, the planet will be passing one-sixth as bright as Jupiter in a very close conjunction. The string of planets can be seen from the earlier risers. Venus will increase its distance from Jupiter on each morning. The sunward swing will bring the planet closer to the horizon. By the end of the month, Venus will have diminished in brightness. Venus will show a gibbous phase and a disk that is 16.7 arcs-seconds across in a telescope. The planet will show a disk at the end of the month. The old crescent moon will shine to Venus on May 27. Most of Southeast Asia, southeastern China, and most of Micronesia can see the moon and Venus in the daytime.
Red-tinted Mars will rise around 3:40 a.m. on May 1 and an hour earlier on the last day of the month. The ruddy planet will begin the month with a temperature of 18 degrees to its west and a pair of brighter planets, Jupiter and Venus, shining 15 degrees to its east. Mars will be carried away from Saturn and towards Jupiter. Mars will cross into Pisces after passing half a degree south of Neptune on May 18. Mars will increase in magnitude from 0.87 to 0.67. The disk size will grow from 5.8 to 6.4 arcs-seconds. The waning crescent moon will pass by Mars and Jupiter on May 24 and 25.
Jupiter and Venus will be close together in May. The duo will be visible in the eastern sky before dawn. The line of planets extending 33 degrees to their west can be seen earlier in the day. Jupiter won't be able to see the stars until after mid-month because it won't stretch far enough west of the sun. Jupiter will be overtaken by Jupiter in another close conjunction on May 29 due to the faster motions of Venus and Mars. Jupiter will be low in the sky in May for clear telescopic views. Jupiter's four Galilean moons will dance to the east and west of its banded disk. The Great Red Spot will appear in the morning. The small, round, black shadows of its four Galilean moons will occasionally transit. The waning crescent moon will pass by Jupiter and Mars on May 24 and 25.
In the early hours of the night in May, the moon will rise at a magnitude of 0.8 as it moves eastward among the stars of eastern Capricornus. It will be visible until dawn. The planets Mars, Neptune, Jupiter, and Venus are going to be strung along the ecliptic. A number of its bright moons will be seen in a telescope in May. The southern hemisphere will extend below the ring plane this year because of the planet's tilt diminishing. The moon will be 5 degrees below the sun on May 22.
The magnitude 5.9 planet will pass a solar conjunction on May 5, but it will be the end of May before it can be seen from mid-northern latitudes. The waning crescent moon will shine a short distance to the left. Easter Island, most of South America, the Cape Verde Islands, and most of W Africa will be affected by the lunar eclipse on the same day.
There will be a planet parked near the border between the two. It will be visible in the dark southeastern sky for an hour or so after it rises. On May 1, the planet will be just 3.5 degrees west of Jupiter. Jupiter will pull away from Neptune at a slower rate when Venus races east on the following mornings. Mars will approach Neptune from the west. They will be able to see the view in a backyard telescope over several mornings when Neptune is close to Mars. Mars will appear several times larger than Neptune's disk.
A planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated is gibbous.
A pattern of stars within a larger constellation is called asterism.
180 degrees from horizon to horizon is the degree of the sky. It's easy to measure distances between objects, with your fist on an outstretched arm covering about 10 degrees of the sky.
The astronomer has a scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object seen in the night sky is a magnitude 6.5. The brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The objects with the best numbers. Venus is as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.
The moon has a boundary between sunlight and shadow.
There is a point in the sky.
Give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness if you want to see fainter objects. Keeping your phone tucked away will prevent you from looking at it. If you must use it, set the brightness to minimum or cover it with clingy red film.
If you are above the horizon, you can see the moon, a few bright stars, and the planets. Rural areas are best for night sky viewing because they have better access to the heavens. If you're stuck in a city or suburban area, use a tree or dark building to block the light from entering. If you are in the suburbs, turning off outdoor lights can help.
Prepare for skywatching if you plan to be outside for more than a few minutes and it is not a warm summer evening. You can chill to the bone by observing for an hour. A blanket or lounge chair will be more comfortable than sitting in a chair and looking at the stars.
The moon is visible in the afternoon in the daytime. The moon rises before sunrise and stays in the daytime sky. Venus can be seen as a brilliant point of light when it is at a significant angle away from the sun, but you need to consult an astronomy app to know when and where to look for it. If you use proper solar filters, you can see large sunspots without a telescope. Permanent eye damage can occur if you don't wear protective eyewear.
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