Tonight’s Sky: May 2014 - Highlights of the May Sky {Video}

Tonight’s Sky: May 2014
 

Your guide to constellations, deep-sky objects, planets and 
events, Tonight’s Sky, 
Highlights of the May Sky

The night sky is always a celestial showcase.

Explore its wonders from your own backyard.

Image credit: Hubblesite.org

Evening Planets 
As night falls, Saturn and Mars grace the eastern sky. 
 
Both planets will remain in the sky well into the early morning 
hours. 
 
On May 10th, Saturn makes its closest approach to Earth, 
which is the best time to see the ringed planet and its moons. 
 
Elusive Mercury appears above the western horizon as the 
Sun sets. The low-lying planet will be a challenge to spot in 
early May, but will stray higher above the horizon later in the 
month. 
 
Above Mercury lies Jupiter. Use a telescope to spot a few of 
its moons. 
 
 
Constellations and Deep-Sky Objects 

Looking toward the south, we’ve turned away from the 
crowded center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Thus we see 
farther into the universe. 
 Tonight’s    Sky:    May    2014     2
The large constellation Virgo fills the southern sky in the late 
evening. One of the zodiacal constellations of ancient times, 
Virgo honors the life-giving virtues of women. 
 
Using a pair of binoculars, visit the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. 
These tiny smudges of light are galaxies, far away from our 
own Milky Way, each aglow with the light of billions of stars. 
 
The Sombrero Galaxy, M104, lies in the southern part of 
Virgo. Its dark dust lane makes it look like a large hat, hence 
its name. 
 
Two smaller constellations lie above Virgo. 
 
Coma Berenices honors a queen who gave her long hair to 
the gods to ensure her husband’s safe return from war. M64, 
a spiral galaxy, can be found tangled in Berenice’s Hair. 
 
Canes Venatici represents the hunting dogs of the gods. 
 
The brightest star in Canes Venatici is Cor Caroli, the Heart 
of Charles, named for Charles 1 of England. 
 
M51, in Canes Venatici, is known as the Whirlpool Galaxy. It 
is one of the most beautiful face-on spirals in the sky. 
 
 
Morning Planets 

Look to the east to find a blazing Venus rising before the 
Sun. Aim a telescope at the planet to see its shape. Tonight’s    Sky:    May    2014     3
 
Events 
The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower returns this month. 
During the peak, on the night of May 5th to 6th, expect to see 
up to 10 meteors per hour. Look for them shooting from the 
east after midnight. 
 
In late May, an unnamed meteor shower could become a 
meteor storm as Earth passes through multiple debris 
streams left by Comet 209P/LINEAR. 
 
In the pre-dawn hours of May 24th, skywatchers could see a 
hundred or more meteors per hour. 
 
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