Astronomical Calendar

May 2012

Highlights

Eta Aquarid meteor shower maximum (10/hour) May 5/6
Crescent Moon and Venus close after sunset May 22
Look for noclitlucent clouds in the late twilight
See the evening sky in May

The Planets

crossMercury: Superior conjunction behind Sun May 27th.
tickVenus: Bright in the west after sunset, magnitude -4.5.
tickMars: In the south east at sunset in Leo, fading to magnitude +0.5.
crossJupiter: Conjunction behind Sun on 13th.
tickSaturn: In the east at sunset in Virgo mag. +0.2.

See also notes below.

Rising, transit and setting times and coming events.

Select nearest latitude to you and adjust to local time for longitude as shown. The original calendar of events is on a separate page. See notes below, please make contact if you spot any errors or bugs. Thanks.

Select nearest latitude.

Today

Calendars by email

To receive by email the monthly printable calendar, enter your email address and click subscribe; you will receive an email asking you to confirn your subscription. Calendars are sent out towards the end of each month.

Featured Video: Noctilucent clouds

Time lapse video giving a good idea of what noctlilucent clouds look like, always in the north (from UK latitudes) in the summer months.

Featured Video: Visiting Vesta

By A Web Design

Quote

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.

May Notes

Jupiter has gone, Venus is disappearing and with the approaching summer solstice there are precious few dark hours. Mars and Saturn are now high in the east and south, though the former fades rapidly now as it draws away from Earth.

Noctilucent Clouds

Noctilucent (‘night shining’) clouds can be seen in the late twilight in the months round the northern summer solstice. They are high (up to 100 km) tenuous clouds that can only be seen when the sun has set but still shines at these altitudes. Look in the northern sky at least an hour after sunset/before sunrise for thin, wispy bluish or white cloud formations. See featured video above.

Crescent Venus

As Venus approaches the Earth it looks bigger and shows a crescent phase that keen eyed observers can apparently make out. On the 22nd Venus is close to a thin crescent Moon so both may be seen, certainly with good binoculars or a small telescope. Venus is in inferior conjunction on June 6th when it makes a rare transit across the face of the Sun.

Saturn

Saturn’s rings are now tilted towards us and the angle of this tilt will increase to a maximum in 2018. Saturn is moving through Virgo into the southern sky so from our viewpoint in the north it will be low in the sky for several years.

Full Moon at perigee

The full Moon on May 6th occurs close to perigee, its closest orbital approach to Earth. It therefore looks a little larger than usual and the effect of the Moon looking big as it rises (5th) and sets (6th) will be enhanced