How to See Venus, Asteroid and Meteor Shower. TOP Astronomical Events of May 2025

Although the nights are getting shorter, the winter cold is now behind us, and warm May evenings beckon with a scattering of stars across the velvet sky. Shortly after sunset, Jupiter can still be seen above the western horizon, and Mars in the southwest. But most planets are in the morning sky, rising just before dawn, and it isn’t very easy to observe them.

The May sky is not very rich in bright events and will generally be more “demanding” to the observer. Nevertheless, a few interesting things are still worth your attention. For example, in the first days of May, it will be possible to observe the brightest asteroid Vesta and the maximum of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower, and at the end of the month, Venus will be at its greatest angular distance from the Sun. Another rare event will also be available to skilled enthusiasts – the simultaneous transit of two shadows of Jupiter’s large moons across its disk.

For those who are just starting to get acquainted with the starry sky, we advise you to pay attention to the constellation of the Ursa Major – in the evening, it rises right above your head. Other bright stars that attract the eye are Spica (α Virgo), Arcturus (α Boötis), and Vega (α Lyr). In the second half of the night, the summer constellations rise, in particular the Milky Way. You can truly enjoy this spectacle only under a dark sky, so if you have the opportunity to go out of town, take binoculars with you for a nighttime journey through the numerous clusters of the phantom starry band.

List of events

👀 🔭 📷 May 2 – the opposition of the asteroid Vesta. With a brilliance of 5.4^m around this date, the asteroid becomes visible to the naked eye under clear, dark skies.

👀 🔭 📷 May 4 – the Moon (44%) conjunct Mars (1^m), at the moment of conjunction at 11:48 p.m. GMT (6:48 p.m. EST) there will be only 1° between the bodies, but for us at this moment they will be below the horizon, so the best time to observe is the evening of May 3.

👀 🔭 📷 May 5 – Mars (1^m) in conjunction with the scattered star cluster M44 (Beehive Cluster).

👀 🔭 📷 May 6 – the maximum of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower, which is active from April 19 to May 28.

👀 🔭 📷 May 12 – a full moon, the exact time is 4:56 p.m. GMT (11:56 a.m. EST).

👀 🔭 📷 May 15 – a double transit of the shadows of Jupiter’s moons across its disk. At the same time, Io and Ganymede will cast shadows on the planet.

👀 🔭 📷 May 22 – conjunction of the Moon (25%) with Saturn (1.1^m) at 4:58 p.m. GMT (11:58 a.m. EST). It is not visible in Ukraine and Europe, but can be seen in the US, with 1°54′ between the bodies.

👀 🔭 📷 May 24 – conjunction of the Moon (14%) with Venus (-4.5^m). The smallest angular distance is 2°38′ and is reached at 00:10, when the celestial bodies are still below the horizon. Therefore, the best time to observe is before dawn on May 24. May 27 is the new moon, the exact time is 3:02 a.m. GMT (10:02 p.m. EST).

👀 🔭 📷 May 27 – a new moon, the exact time is 3:02 a.m. GMT (10:02 p.m. EST).

👀 🔭 📷 May 31 – the largest western elongation of Venus (-4.4^m), during which the planet will move away from the Sun by 46°. The exact time of the event is 8:57 p.m. GMT (3:57 p.m. EST), when the planet is below the horizon. The best days for observing are May 31 and June 1, before dawn.

Detailed overview of the most interesting events

May 2: Vesta’s opposition.

In the ranking of the largest bodies in the Main Asteroid Belt, Vesta ranks second, behind only the dwarf planet Ceres. But Vesta is the only object in that region of space that can potentially be seen with the naked eye. For scientists, this asteroid is of particular interest because it is considered a protoplanet. In 2011-2012, it was visited and thoroughly investigated by the Dawn spacecraft. It is likely that ~1.2 billion years ago, this asteroid collided with other bodies. The fragments formed in that era occasionally fall to Earth in the form of meteorites, which gives scientists additional opportunities to study Vesta.

For visual observations, the asteroid Vesta is available only near the opposition, which this year falls on May 2. An opposition in astronomy is a configuration in which a certain body and the Sun are in diametrically opposite directions relative to the Earth. In this arrangement, this object reflects the greatest possible amount of light on us, and is also located at the smallest distance, thus achieving maximum brightness.

Vesta’s opposition does not happen every year – approximately 1 year and 4.5 months pass between two such events. The exact time of the event this time is May 2 at 11:58 a.m. GMT (6:58 a.m. EST), so the best dates for observations are the nights of May 1/2 and 2/3. The asteroid will be located in the constellation Libra and will have a brilliance of 5.4^m. It will be at its highest altitude at about 10 p.m. GMT (5 p.m. EST). If you have sharp eyesight and observe in a dark sky, you can see Vesta with the naked eye, but it is better to use binoculars or a small telescope. To find your way around the myriad of stars, you can use a virtual planetarium.

May 6: Eta Aquariids meteor shower.

The η-Aquariids are the second most powerful spring “starfall” in terms of chronology after the April Lyrids. According to the International Meteor Organization, the activity of the Eta Aquariids lasts from April 19 to May 28, and at its maximum, which this year falls at 6 am on May 6, the ZHR of the flux reaches 50, although it can vary from 40 to 85. However, observations are complicated by the Sun’s proximity to the radiant.

At the time of the maximum activity, the radiant of the stream (the imaginary point of departure of meteors) is located near the star η Aquarii. The constellation Aquarius rises above the horizon shortly before sunrise. Therefore, the most productive observations will be just before dawn. Depending on the quality of the sky, the most realistic estimate is that you will be able to see from 5 to 15 meteors per hour. Near the equator and in the southern hemisphere, observers will be more fortunate.

What is interesting about the Eta Aquariids is that the plume of particles that crosses the Earth consists of tiny fragments of the famous Halley’s comet (1P). Stream meteors are quite fast – they enter the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 66 km/s. During the year, we cross the orbit of this comet twice: the second meteor shower associated with 1P/Halley is the Orionids, observed in late October.

May 15: simultaneous transit of two shadows of Jupiter’s moons across its disk.

The four largest satellites of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – when they are between the Sun and the planet, cast shadows on it. And such a shadow can be seen in an average amateur telescope. In the evening of May 15, there will be a chance to observe a very rare phenomenon: two shadows will appear simultaneously on Jupiter’s disk – from Io and Ganymede.

On May 15, at 4:48 p.m. GMT (11:48 a.m. EST), the shadow of Io (the largest moon closest to Jupiter) will begin to creep onto the planet in the southern equatorial belt. At that time, the shadow of Ganymede will be visible, which will rise from Jupiter’s disk at 5:26 p.m. GMT (12:26 p.m. EST). Usually, the beginning and end of the event are quite difficult to see, so you will have about 30 minutes to observe the movement of tiny black specks. In addition to the rather small size of the shadows, there is another circumstance that makes this event not so easy for observers – it occurs when the Sun is still above the horizon. However, Jupiter is such a bright planet that it can be seen even in the daytime sky.

May 27: New Moon – time for deep space objects!

In May, during the New Moon, we suggest paying attention to several globular clusters. With small instruments, they look like barely visible clouds. A medium-sized amateur telescope will reveal them in all their glory – you will be able to see some of the brightest stars.

If you’re looking for specific objects to observe, try M5 (Serpens constellation), M53 (in the Coma Berenices), M3 (in the Canes Venatici), and M71 (in the Sagitta constellation). And in the second half of the night, it’s nice to just “wander” the Milky Way – even a modest instrument will bring a lot of pleasure.

May 31: Venus in its greatest western elongation

The greatest elongation of an inner planet is defined as its farthest position in the sky from the Sun. Although the greatest elongations of Venus and Mercury are generally considered the best time to observe them, the conditions can vary greatly. For example, in the current western (morning) elongation for Ukrainian residents, Venus (-4.4^m) rises above the horizon only about an hour and a half before the Sun. Therefore, despite the rather large angular distance of 46°, there will not be much time to admire the bright Morning Star at dawn.

The exact time of the greatest elongation is May 31 at 8:57 p.m. GMT (3:57 p.m. EST), so the observing conditions will be approximately the same a few days before and a few days after this date. Looking at Venus through a telescope, you will be able to see it illuminated by the Sun by about 50% – the planet will look like a tiny Moon in the first quarter phase.