Some highlights for the night sky in May 2004
Sunday 2 May 2004
- Waxing gibbous Moon (2 days prior to full) near Spica in East after sunset
- Venus approaching its brightest (on 3rd)
Wednesday 5 May 2004
- Eta Aquarid meteor shower peak (look in southeast before dawn)
- Look for comet NEAT (9 degrees) to the left of Sirius in WSW after sunset
Thursday 6 May 2004
- Moon is at perigee (closest to Earth)
- Waning gibbous Moon near Antares (look SSW before sunrise)
Sunday 9 May 2004 (Mother's Day)
- Comet NEAT 8 degrees left of Procyon after sunset
- Saturn, Mars and Venus 15 degrees apart in WNW after sunset
Wednesday 12 May 2004
- Comet NEAT about 25 degrees from Venus in a line through Mars and Saturn (after sunset)
- Last quarter Moon was 11:04 UTC 11 May 2004
Monday 17 May 2004
- Venus near Beta Tauri with Mars and Saturn upper left (after sunset)
- Comet NEAT in Cancer
Wednesday 19 May 2004
- Try to spot young crescent Moon near horizon 30 minutes after sunset
- Venus still brilliant in WNW after sunset
- New Moon was at 0452 UTC this date
Friday 21 May 2004
- Crescent Moon near Venus after sunset
- Mars and Saturn near Epsilon Gemini
Wednesday 26 May 2004
- Moon forms triangle with Jupiter and Regulus in Leo
- First quarter Moon at 0757 UTC 27 May
Friday 28 May 2004
- Mars near Saturn below Castor and Pollux after sunset
- Mars and Saturn are just 2.5 degrees apart
Sunday 30 May 2004
- One hour after sunset look for waxing gibbous Moon near Spica in Virgo
- Comet LINEAR may be visible in southern states starting 25 May
- Comet LINEAR will be in Hydra about 12 degrees from Alphard
Good skywatching resources
John Avellone's provided web sites