Monthly sky - mai 2025

Here are some details on the Moon’s phases, close approaches of planets and other astronomical events to watch for in the sky this May.

May 3: Conjunction – Coming together; Mars (mag: -2.01) south of the Moon (45%), early at night in a westerly direction in the constellation Cancer.

May 4: First quarter Moon – 9:52 a.m. EDT.

May 5: Conjunction – Coming together: Mars north of open cluster M44 (the Beehive) early in the night towards the west in the constellation Cancer.

Night of May 5 to 6: maximum meteor shower from the Eta Aquariids around 11:00 p.m. EDT. Unfortunately, the late rising of the constellation Pisces (at night’s end on May 6) and the presence of a Moon (70%) after first quarter will prevent us from fully enjoying the shower this year.

May 6: Equinox on Saturn at 2:09 a.m. EDT, the point at which the Sun will appear to cross the planet’s equator.

May 10: the Moon at its peak (97%) – furthest possible distance (406,700 km) from the Earth – at 8:46 p.m.

May 12: Full Moon – 12:55 p.m. EDT.

May 14: The Moon at aphelion (96%), its greatest distance from the Sun – 148,118,960 km – at 2:59 p.m. EDT.

May 20: Last quarter of the Moon – 7:59 a.m. EDT.

May 24: Conjunction – Coming together; the Moon (11%) and Venus (to its right; mag: -3.19), towards the east around 4:00 EDT in the morning, just before sunrise. Saturn (mag: 1.76) a little farther to their right.

May 25: The Moon at perihelion (3%) – closest distance from the Sun (147,789,840 km) at 4:15 p.m. EDT.

May 25: The Moon at perigee (2%) – the closest from the Earth (356,500 km) – at 9:33 p.m. EDT.

May 26: New Moon – 11:03 p.m. EDT.

May 28: Conjunction – Coming together; the Moon (5%) and Jupiter (to its right; mag: -1), immediately after sunset, in a westerly direction. A clear western horizon will be needed to see it.