Astronomical Events

Planets of the Month: May 2019

by Erich Karkoschka

planet-of-the-month-mercury Mercury starts its best evening apparition of 2019 on May 30.
planet-of-the-month-venus Venus rises during dawn and remains very low before sunrise.
planet-of-the-month-moon The Moon is New on the 4th, barely visible on the 5th before 8 pm, near Aldebaran on the 6th, and near Mars on the 7th. The next first sighting of the crescent after New Moon will occur on June 4, when it will be easier to spot than on May 5th, but still be very thin.
planet-of-the-month-mars Mars is visible during the early evening near Elnathm, passing MN35 in Gemini on the 19th.
planet-of-the-month-jupiter Jupiter rises at 10 pm, when Mars sets, but by 8 pm at the end of May.
 planet-of-the-month-saturn  Saturn is 28 degrees east of Jupiter and a good morning object.
 planet-of-the-month-neptune  Dwarf planet Ceres is observable in binoculars. It is magnitude 7, moving from Ophiuchus into Scorpius.