May 2021 Sky
- Posted by OCastronomy
- On May 2, 2021
- 0 Comments
- Aldebaran, Antares, Beehive cluster M44, Castor, Eta Aquarid meteor shower, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Pleiades, Pollux, Regulus, Saturn, Spica, Total Eclipse of the Moon, Venus
May 2021 Sky
| 3 | Last Quarter Moon at 19:51 UT. |
| 3 | Moon near Saturn (morning sky) at 20h UT. Mag. 0.7. • Saturn (Wikipedia) |
| 5 | Moon near Jupiter (morning sky) at 1h UT. Mag. −2.2. • Jupiter (Wikipedia) |
| 5 | Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks at 19h UT. Most active for 7 days around this date. Associated with Comet Halley. Very fast, bright meteors, up to 40 per hour. Favors skywatchers in the tropics and southern hemisphere observing a few hours before dawn. • Eta Aquariids (Wikipedia) • 2021 Meteor Shower Calendar (PDF) (IMO) |
| 11 | New Moon at 19:00 UT. Start of lunation 1217. |
| 11 | Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 22h UT (distance 406,512 km; angular size 29.4′). |
| 12 | Moon near the Pleiades at 15h UT (9° from Sun, evening sky). • The Pleiades (Wikipedia) |
| 12 | Moon near Venus (12° from Sun, evening sky) at 23h UT. Mag. −3.9. • Venus (Wikipedia) |
| 13 | Moon near Aldebaran at 9h UT (evening sky). • Aldebaran (Wikipedia) |
| 13 | Moon near Mercury (22° from Sun, evening sky) at 20h UT. Mag. 0.1. • Mercury (Wikipedia) |
| 16 | Moon near Mars (48° from Sun, evening sky) at 6h UT. Mag. 1.7. • Mars (Wikipedia) |
| 16 | Moon near Castor at 20h UT (evening sky). |
| 17 | Moon near Pollux at 1h UT (evening sky). |
| 17 | Venus 5.8° N of Aldebaran at 4h UT (15° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. −3.9 and 0.9. |
| 17 | Mercury at greatest elongation east (22° from Sun, evening sky) at 6h UT. Mag. 0.5 |
| 18 | Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (evening sky) at 4h UT. The Beehive is lovely sight in binoculars. • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD) |
| 19 | First Quarter Moon at 19:12 UT. |
| 19 | Moon near Regulus at 22h UT (evening sky). • Regulus (Wikipedia) |
| 23 | Moon near Spica at 19h UT (evening sky). • Spica (Wikipedia) |
| 26 | Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 1:46 UT (distance 357,311 km; angular size 33.4′). |
| 26 | Full Moon at 11:14 UT. Perigee only 9.5 hours earlier. |
| 26 | Total Eclipse of the Moon begins at 11:11 UT and ends at 11:26 UT. Mid-eclipse at 11:20 UT. Partial phases begin at 9:45 UT and end at 12:52 UT. During totality the Moon will turn red-orange in color as it passes into the Earth’s shadow. Light passing through the Earth’s atmosphere scatters into red colors (same as sunset/sunrise) and reflects off the lunar surface. • Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021 May 26 (PDF) (NASA) • Eclipses of the Moon (Mr Eclipse) • NASA Lunar Eclipse Page (NASA) |
| 26 | Moon near Antares at 20h UT (midnight sky). • Antares (Wikipedia) |
| 29 | Mercury 0.40° SE of Venus (17° from Sun, evening sky) at 4h UT. Mags. 2.3 and −3.9. |
| 31 | Moon near Saturn (morning sky) at 4h UT. Mag. 0.6. • Saturn (Wikipedia) |
| May 2021 Sky All times Universal Time (UT). | |
