In this Jupiter occultation illustration, we see our Moon passing straight in between Earth and Jupiter, thus blocking or “hiding” Jupiter from view. Credit: Artists illustration using NASA images of Jupiter and the Moon
From some southern U.S. states, youll be able to observe Jupiter passing behind the Moon as the set increase in early morning golden. And from the western states, Jupiter will really be behind the Moon, in occultation, as the pair increase. Jupiter will begin to emerge from behind the Moon as the Sun comes up.
All month– A post-sunset component because the beginning of the year, Venus reaches its highest point at night sky in May, and begins trending lower each night, heading into June. It vanishes from night skies by late July, and comes back in the early morning sky about a month later.
May 5– Full moon
May 13– Find the world Saturn rising together with a third-quarter (or half-full) moon in the southeast in the couple of hours before dawn.
May 17– A slim crescent moon rises about an hour before the Sun, with Jupiter quite closeby, for much of the U.S. and Canada. From some Southern U.S. states, observers will be able to see Jupiter passing behind the Moon as the set increase in early morning golden.
May 19– New moon
May 22-24– Following sundown on May 22-24, the Moon, Venus, and Mars form a close grouping in the west. The Moon sits between the 2 worlds on the 23rd.
Video Transcript
Whats Up for May? Planets strike a position with the Moon, we reach “peak Venus,” and whats various about the skies of the Southern Hemisphere.
On the early morning of May 13th, find the world Saturn rising together with a third-quarter (or half-full) moon. Find them together in the southeast in the couple of hours prior to dawn.
On May 17th, a slim crescent moon rises about an hour prior to the Sun,.
and from much of the U.S. and Canada, the planet Jupiter will appear extremely near to the Moon. But from some southern U.S. states, youll be able to observe Jupiter passing behind the Moon as the pair rise in morning twilight. And from the western states, Jupiter will actually be behind the Moon, in occultation, as the set increase. Jupiter will start to emerge from behind the Moon as the Sun comes up. Now, this will be quite low in the sky, so youll need a clear view of the horizon to observe it, and a pair of field glasses will be a huge assistance as the sky begins to brighten.
Next, following sunset on May 22nd through the 24th, the Moon, Venus, and Mars form a close grouping in the west. The Moon sits in between the two planets on the 23rd.
Venus has actually been rising greater in the sky each evening for the previous few months. That begins to alter in May, as the dazzling planet reaches its acme in the western sky, and begins trending lower as we move into June. Itll disappear from evening skies by late July, coming back in the eastern sky about a month later on as a morning things.
There are some crucial distinctions between the night sky in the Southern Hemisphere, compared to the North. To start with, theres no equivalent to the North Star for the Southern Hemisphere. The celestial poles shift with time, so eventually there will be a “South Star,” however not at the minute.
Next, from Orion to the Teapot to the Gemini twins, the seasonal star patterns northern observers are most familiar with appear flipped upside down when seen in southern skies. The Moon also appears the other way around, and its phases fill up from left to right, rather of right to left as they do in the north.
Stars near the north celestial pole, consisting of Ursa Major and Cassiopeia are listed below the horizon for much of the Southern Hemisphere. There are lots of dazzling constellations easily noticeable just from the Southern Hemisphere, like Crux, Carina, Tucana (the toucan), and Centaurus (the centaur)!
Next, while observers in both hemispheres are well-acquainted with the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, Southern Hemisphere skywatchers get to delight in the second and 3rd brightest stars. And the 2 stars are frequently seen together in southern skies. Its too far south in the sky to be noticeable for most of the Northern Hemisphere.
Lastly, there are 2 whole galaxies easily observed in the southern sky with the unaided eye. These are the Magellanic Clouds, which are dwarf galaxies that orbit our galaxy the Milky Way. They produce a sensational sight in night sky photos from Southern latitudes.
And thats an actually short list of a few of the methods the skies above the Southern Hemisphere are distinct. Our view of the cosmos might be different from one part of the planet to the other, however the insights we get from searching for and exploring are something we all can share.
Here are the stages of the Moon for May.
The stages of the Moon for May 2023. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Stay up to date with all of NASAs objectives to check out the solar system and beyond at nasa.gov. Im Preston Dyches from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, whichs Whats Up for this month.
Weve reached “peak Venus” in the p.m. skies, and the Moon occults Jupiter for the Western U.S. Plus, what makes the Southern Hemisphere sky special?
When one things is concealed by another item that passes between it and the observer, an occultation is a celestial occasion that occurs. In this Jupiter occultation illustration, we see our Moon passing directly in between Earth and Jupiter, thus blocking or “hiding” Jupiter from view. Since it needs the Moon and Jupiter to be very closely aligned along the line of sight from Earth, this is a fairly rare occasion. When it does take place, it can be an incredible sight for amateur and professional astronomers alike. Credit: Artists illustration using NASA pictures of Jupiter and the Moon
What are some skywatching highlights in May 2023?
Venus reaches its highest point in the evening sky for the year, while Jupiter disappears behind the Moon for some U.S. observers. Plus, some essential distinctions in the Southern Hemispheres skies compared to those of the North.
