Daily Guide
A quick guide to the night sky – written by NASA experts – featuring full Moon lore, asteroid flybys, stars, galaxies, constellations, and more.
- May 3 – In the hour or so before dawn, you'll find the crescent moon rising with Saturn in morning twilight. The pair are trailed by the Red Planet, Mars, which rises about 45 minutes after Saturn. They form a nice lineup in the east for early risers to enjoy.
- May 4 – This morning before sunrise, the Moon shows a slim crescent and has moved in its orbit since yesterday to sit between Saturn and Mars. If you have a clear view to the horizon, you might also catch a glimpse of Mercury rising this morning.
- May 6 – The eta Aquariid meteors peak early this morning, in the several hours before dawn. The shower is much stronger in the Southern Hemisphere, but still can be enjoyable for Northern Hemisphere observers.
- May 7 – New moon
- May 23 – Full moon
- May 23 – Tonight the full Moon will appear quite close to the bright red star Antares, in Scorpius, as the pair rise. Those on the East Coast of the U.S. – south of Delaware and down through the whole state of Florida – will observe the Moon pass in front of Antares – an event called an occultation.
- May 31 – Planet Saturn rises in the wee hours of the morning with the crescent Moon in tow. Look for them together in the eastern sky at dawn.
Past Guides
An archive of retired NASA executive Gordon Johnston's monthly skywatching column.
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