On the first of May, before dawn, we will witness a rare close approach of two bright planets — Venus and Jupiter. Mars will approach Jupiter on the 29th. On the morning of May 16, the beginning of a total lunar eclipse will be visible in the western part of Ukraine. Also, the last month of spring will be the best time to observe comet C/2021 O3 (PanSTARRS) in our latitudes, which will never return to the Sun again. Its visible brightness will gradually decrease from the 6th to the 8th magnitude.
May 1
- Venus (-4,1ᵐ) is 0.2° south of Jupiter (-2.1ᵐ)
May 2
- The Moon is 2° south of Mercury (0.8ᵐ)
May 5
- The Moon is at its apogee, 405285 km from the center of the Earth
- The maximum activity of the meteor shower is η-Aquarids (up to 60 meteors per hour)
- Sun conjunct Uranus
May 7
- The Moon is 3° south of Pollux (α Geminorum, 1,2ᵐ)
May 9
- The Moon is in the phase of the first quarter
- The Moon covers the star of η Leo (3,5ᵐ)
May 10
- The Moon is 4° north of Regulus (α Leo, 1,3ᵐ)
May 13
- The Moon covers the star γ Virgo (3,4ᵐ)
May 14
- The Moon is 4° north of Spica (α Virgo, 1.0ᵐ)
May 15
- The Moon covers the star λ Virgo (4,5ᵐ)
May 16
- Full Moon. Total lunar eclipse (the beginning is visible in Ukraine)
May 17
- The Moon covers the star of the ο Scorpii (4,5ᵐ)
- The Moon is 3° north of Antares (α Scorpii, 1.0ᵐ)
- The Moon is at perigee, 360297 km from the center of the Earth
May 18
- Mars (0.8ᵐ) is 0.5° south of Neptune (7.9ᵐ)
May 21
- Mercury is in inferior conjunction with the Sun
May 22
- The Moon is in the last quarter phase
- The Moon is 6° south of Saturn (0.8ᵐ)
May 25
- The Moon is 4° south of Mars (0.7ᵐ) and Jupiter (-2.2ᵐ)
May 27
- The Moon is 1° south of Venus (-4.0ᵐ)
May 29
- Mars is 0.6° south of Jupiter
May 30
- Full Moon
- Maximum activity of the Herculid meteor shower (up to 20 meteors per hour)
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