May 2011 Astro Calendar

Zoiks, a little late this month! Don’t miss the meteors, I saw quite a few already last weekend (April 30).

MOON PHASES

• May 2 (Mon) 11:50 PM PDT / 6:50 UT (Tues) – New moon
• May 10 (Tues) 1:32 PM PDT / 20:32 UT – First quarter moon
• May 17 (Tues) 4:07 AM PDT / 11:07 UT – Full moon
• May 24 (Tues) 11:51 AM PDT / 18:51 UT – Last quarter moon

MOON CONJUNCTIONS

• May 13-14 (Fri-Sat), waxing gibbous moon passes Saturn (13^th) and Spica (14^th), but not particularly closely.

PLANET POSITIONS

• Mercury waxing crescent to waxing gibbous in the morning sky, greatest western elongation May 7.
• Venus waxing gibbous in the morning sky, following greatest western elongation on Jan 8.
• Mars rises before dawn, but stays close to the horizon.
• Jupiter rises before dawn, following conjunction with sun on April 6.
• Saturn rises shortly after sunset, following opposition on April 3.
• Uranus rises before dawn, in Pisces.
• Neptune rises before dawn, in Aquarius.

PLANET CONJUNCTIONS

• May 7-15, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter within 5° of each other.
• May 15-25, Mercury, Venus, and Mars within 5° of each other.

METEOR SHOWERS

• May 6 (Fri) Eta Aquarid meteors. Active April 19-May 28. Predicted to be a very favorable year.