The Moon stages some especially close encounters with several stars and planets this month. It teams up with Saturn and Mars in the dawn sky, along with Neptune, which is too faint to see with the eye alone. Mercury creeps in there as well, but it’s difficult to spot. The Moon snuggles especially close to Antares, the bright orange heart of the scorpion, near month’s end. The Summer Triangle begins to climb into the evening sky, along with Libra, the balance scales, a lead-in to the prominent summer constellation Scorpius. On the other hand, Leo, the lion, plunges head first toward the southwestern horizon.
The full Moon of May is known as the Milk Moon, Flower Moon, or Corn Moon.
Perigee May 5
Apogee May 17
Moon phases are Central Time.
A bright triangle highlights the southern sky tonight: the full Moon, the star Antares, and the planet Saturn. As night falls, Antares stands to the lower right of the Moon, with brighter Saturn about the same distance to the lower left of the Moon.
Antares, the heart of Scorpius, stands directly below the Moon as darkness falls tonight. It is one of the biggest, brightest stars in the galaxy, and is fated to end its life with a titanic explosion known as a supernova.
Antares, the brightest star of the celestial scorpion, perches far to the lower left of the Moon tonight, and closer below the Moon tomorrow night. The star shines with a distinctly orange hue.
The Sun, Moon, and planets move in front of the zodiac, the “pathway of animals.” The only inanimate member of the zodiac is Libra, the scales of justice. Libra arcs across the southern sky this evening. Its four main stars form a lopsided square.
Spica, the leading light of Virgo, stands close to the lower right of the Moon as night falls this evening. The brilliant planet Jupiter is to their upper right, completing a beautiful triangle.
The planet Jupiter is in great view tonight. It stands just a couple of degrees from the Moon. The planet looks like a brilliant star. For the hours they are in view, in fact, nothing outshines Jupiter except the Moon.
Venus will stand farthest from the Sun in the early morning sky tomorrow. At this time of year, though, its path tilts low above the horizon, so the planet doesn’t climb very high. Yet Venus is easy to pick out because it is the brilliant “morning star.”
Centaurus wheels low across the south on June nights. In fact, much of the constellation stays below the horizon. The brightest star in Centaurus that’s visible from most of the United States is Menkent, a name that means “shoulder of the centaur.”
Mighty Hercules stands high in the east as night falls at this time of year. The constellation’s brightest star represents the entire strongman: Its name, Kornephoros, comes from a Greek word that means “the club bearer” — Hercules himself.
The Moon has a familiar companion the next couple of evenings: Regulus, the heart of Leo, the lion. The bright star stands to the upper left of the Moon tonight, and closer to the right or lower right tomorrow night.
