Southern Skywatch May 2023 edition is now out!

 Morning sky on Saturday May 6 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 02:52 ACST. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen). Note the subtle darkening of the Moon in the inset.

The May edition of Southern Skywatch is now up.  

The planetary action is now shifting to the morning skies, although Venus and Mars are prominent and bright in the evening skies. Mercury returns to the morning twilight but will be good viewing this month. Saturn climbs higher in the morning sky. Jupiter climbs higher the morning twilight late in the month. Eta Aquariid meteor shower and penumbral eclipse of the Moon.

May 6; Full Moon (penumbral eclipse) and eta Aquariid meteor shower in the morning. May 8-10, Venus close to open cluster M35. May 11; Moon at perigee. May 12; Last Quarter Moon. May 14; the crescent moon near Saturn in the morning twilight. May 16 – 17; Venus is very close to the star epsilon Geminorum. May 18; Mercury, the thin crescent Moon and Jupiter from a triangle. May 20; New Moon. May 23; the crescent Moon is close to Venus in the evening. May 24; the crescent Moon forms a triangle with Venus and Mars. May 25; the Moon is near Mars. May 26; apogee Moon. May 28; First Quarter Moon. May 31; Mars is on the outskirts of the Beehive cluster.

Mercury enters the morning sky and is best seen from mid-month. On the 18th Mercury, the thin crescent Moon and Jupiter from a triangle.  On the 29th it is at its furthest from the sun, and will be easy to see above the eastern horizon an hour before sunrise, below Jupiter.

  Venus climbs yet higher in the evening sky this month; the low angle of the ecliptic means it never gets really high but it is now prominent at astronomical twilight, when the sky is full dark. Venus has two close encounters this month. Venus moves from Taurus into Gemini this month. From the 9th to 10th Venus is close to the open cluster M35, an excellent sight in binoculars. On the 16th and 17th Venus is very close to the star epsilon Geminorum. On the 23rd Venus will be just 3° from the crescent moon, making a nice binocular sight. On the 30th Venus is only 20 arc minutes from the double star Kappa Geminorum. Venus currently looks like a half Moon.

Mars is well past opposition this Month but is easily visible, Mars is shrinking in telescopic view, Mars now leaves Gemini and enters Cancer, on the 31st Mars is on the outskirts of the Beehive cluster M44, a very nice binocular sight. On the 24th Mars, Venus and the waxing moon form a triangle.

Jupiter climbs higher the morning twilight but will be best seen from around mid-month. On the 18th Mercury, the thin crescent Moon and Jupiter from a triangle.

Saturn climbs higher in the morning skies and is now readily visible an hour and a half  before sunrise. On the 14th Saturn is 3 degrees from crescent moon in the morning skies. On the 28th the maximum amount of shadow will be cast on Saturn’s rings, giving them a 3D appearance.