Eyes on the Sky Update: May 2024
Wednesday, May 1 – Last (Third) Quarter Moon occurs at 7:27 a.m. and will be rising over the southeastern horizon just past 2:30 a.m. By sunrise (5:49 a.m.), the moon will be in the south-southeast.
Friday, May 3 – Waning lunar crescent is hovering in the southeast just to the west (right) of Saturn in the 5 a.m. dawn sky. Both Mars and Mercury both appear to the lower left (east) of the moon. Use binoculars to see these objects in the brightening sky. The planets will appear as “stars.”
Saturday, May 4 – This morning, the thinning crescent appears between Saturn and Mars in the east-southeast.
Sunday, May 5 – 10-percent illuminated waning lunar crescent is between Mars and Mercury in eastern sky. Be sure to look before 5 a.m. Mercury is hugging the eastern horizon having risen only five minutes earlier. Use binoculars to find this elusive planet.
Sunday, May 5 – Eta Aquariids meteor shower expected to peak in the hours before dawn but only adds a few meteors per hour to normal background rate. The particles of this meteor shower (meteoroids) are “ices” outgassed from Comet Halley.
Tuesday, May 7 – New Moon, 11:21 p.m.
Thursday, May 9 – thin, waxing crescent moon back in evening sky against the stars of Taurus. Look toward the west-northwest after 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 15 – First Quarter Moon, 7:48 a.m., rises at 12:23 p.m. and sets during the night at 2:37 a.m.
Saturday, May 18 – Jupiter appears behind the sun from our perspective, an alignment called a solar “conjunction.”
Thursday, May 23 – Full Moon, 9:53 a.m. This is the Flower Moon; it rises over the east-southeastern horizon at 9 p.m.
Thursday, May 23 – Full moon eclipses the bright star Antares of Scorpius in the mid-evening sky for observers south of Philadelphia. The event is called a lunar “occultation.” A telescope will be needed to see the star in the glare of the full moon as the moon appears to approach Antares. For the Albany area, the star will pass very close to the northeastern side of the moon.
Thursday, May 30 – Third or Last Quarter Moon occurs at 1:12 p.m., the moon rose earlier this day at 1:39 a.m., and sets at 12:27 p.m., 45 minutes before the moment of Third Quarter.
Editor’s Note: Richard Monda, is an assistant professor of Physics and Astronomy in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics Department and the creator of HVCC Eyes on the Sky, a YouTube video series.