May provides a chance to see the closest and furthest planets from the Sun, Mercury and Neptune.
The Planets for May 2009
Mercury picks up in May where it left off in April, hanging by the Pleiades star cluster. Both will set in the west soon after sunset. At magnitude 1.2 on May 1, Mercury drops to magnitude 3.4 by May 10 and submits to the sun's setting glow.
Saturn, at magnitude 0.7, is nearly stationary in Leo the Lion. Its brightness also changes little throughout the month. The gibbous moon passes Saturn on May 3, and then at the end of the month, the quarter moon passes Saturn on May 30 and 31.
May 2009's Moon
May's full moon is variously called the Hare Moon, the Milk Moon, and the Flower Moon. The full moon for May 2009 occurs at 12:01 a.m. EDT on May 9, which means that for those west of EDT the full moon occurs the day before, on May 8. The evening of May 8 is the best time to get a look at the Flower Moon.
Other than the pairing with Saturn, above, the moon passes many stars. On May 6 the moon is close to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. May 29 the moon appears close to Regulus. The day before, May 28, the moon sat near the pretty Beehive Cluster in Cancer.
A very young moon, just after new phase, may be caught by keen-eyed observers on May 24 after sunset. May 25 provides an easier sighting of a young moon in the early evening.
How to See Neptune
Finding Neptune is often a real challenge. However, from mid-May through July, Neptune will be just one degree from Jupiter, making it a much easier task for those with good binoculars or small telescopes. On May 15, the two close in less than a degree apart. Observers will have to stay up late or get up early to see the pair. First find Jupiter as a bright magnitude -2.4 light in the south. Just to the left is, first, a 5th magnitude star (Mu Capricorni) and then the 7.9 magnitude Neptune, a bluish dot to the left and a little above. Each day Jupiter heads a step closer to Neptune, passing Mu Capricorni on May 20. Around May 27, Jupiter will be directly below Neptune.
Meteor Shower in May
An annual meteor shower known as the Eta Aquarids peaks on May 5 and 6, with fewer meteors visible between the 1st and 8th. The Eta Aquarid meteors appear to come from the constellation Aquarius near the star Eta. This shower, with a zenithal hourly rate of 45, is one of two annual showers whose source is Halley's comet.
Read more: "Annual Meteor Showers: Where and When to Look"
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