{"id":43812,"date":"2023-04-18T14:13:18","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T14:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=43812"},"modified":"2023-04-27T14:54:52","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T14:54:52","slug":"the-planets-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2023\/04\/18\/the-planets-20\/","title":{"rendered":"The planets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Our celestial neighbourhood in May<\/span><\/p>\n\n

PICK OF THE <\/strong>MONTH<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Venus <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Best time to see:<\/strong> 1 May, from 1 hour after sunset
Altitude:<\/strong> 24\u00b0
Location<\/strong>: Taurus
Direction<\/strong>: West-northwest
Features<\/strong>: Phase, subtle surface markings
Recommended equipment<\/strong>: 75mm or larger <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Venus encounters open cluster M35 on 9 May at around 22:00 BST (21:00 UT) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Venus is a spectacular evening planet throughout May, despite its brilliance being constantly challenged by the bright, expanding spring evening twilight. On 1 May, shining at mag. \u20134.0, Venus sets 4 hours and 15 minutes after the Sun, giving you approximately 2 hours to view it against a dark sky as it approaches the northwest horizon. <\/p>\n\n

On 9 May, now shining one-tenth of a magnitude brighter at \u20134.1, Venus sits 1.8\u00b0 to the north of the mag. +5.1 open cluster M35 in Gemini. You\u2019ll need a flat northwest horizon to see this encounter at its best though, as the pair are low when true darkness falls, about 8.5\u00b0 as seen from the centre of the UK. <\/p>\n\n

On 16 May, Venus sits three-quarters of a degree from Mebsuta (Epsilon (\u03b5) Geminorum). All the while, the period when you are able to see Venus against a dark sky will be shrinking, the planet\u2019s altitude decreasing significantly when true darkness falls throughout the month. Mid-month, Venus remains above the horizon for 4 hours after sunset and through a telescope appears 60%-lit. Its disc will appear nearly 20 arcseconds across on this date. <\/p>\n\n

Venus\u2019s monthly visit from the Moon is a two-evening affair during May. The mag. \u20134.1 planet has a visit from a 10%-lit waxing crescent Moon 6.8\u00b0 to the right and slightly below it on the evening of 22 May, and a 17%-lit waxing crescent 4.8\u00b0 east (above and left) of it on the evening of 23 May. On 31 May, the bright evening twilight starts to win against Venus and it will no longer be possible to see the planet against truly dark skies from the UK. On 31 May, Venus sets 3 hours 30 minutes after the Sun. <\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Mercury <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Not visible <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Mercury is at inferior conjunction on 1 May. Subsequently moving into the morning sky, it\u2019s not well-placed, rising shortly before sunrise most of the month. By the end of May, Mercury shines at mag. +0.5, only rising 40 minutes before the Sun. <\/p>\n\n

Mars <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Best time to see<\/strong>: 1 May, from 23:00 BST (22:00 UT)
Altitude<\/strong>: 26\u00b0
Location<\/strong>: Gemini
Direction<\/strong>: West <\/p>\n\n

Mars is a mag. +1.3 evening planet in Gemini on 1 May and through the month it loses altitude as darkness falls. On the evening of 23 May, mag. +1.5 Mars lies 14.5\u00b0 west of mag. \u20134.1 Venus. A beautiful 17%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits between both planets. On the following evening, the 25%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits 3.2\u00b0 above Mars. Both will be near the Beehive Cluster, M44, at this time, but late twilight and low altitude will make M44 hard to see. On 31 May, mag. +1.6 Mars knocks on the western side of M44, the cluster stars being really hard to see due to low altitude and bright twilight. Mars appears 4 arcseconds across at the end of May. <\/p>\n\n

Jupiter <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Best time to see<\/strong>: 17 May, from 14:20 BST (13:20 UT)
Altitude<\/strong>: 35\u00b0
Location<\/strong>: Pisces
Direction<\/strong>: Southwest (daylight)<\/p>\n\n

Jupiter was in conjunction with the Sun last month and isn\u2019t well-placed. Your best chance of spotting it will be in the early morning dawn twilight, low above the east-northeast horizon at the end of the month. <\/p>\n\n

On the morning of 17 May, a slender 7%-lit waning crescent Moon sits 5\u00b0 southwest of mag. \u20131.9 Jupiter as they both rise above the east-northeast horizon 50 minutes before sunrise. Stay with the Moon after sunrise using a telescope and it may also be possible to maintain a ghostly view of Jupiter. The Moon continues to close in on the planet, occulting it as seen from northern UK, or passing just to the north of it as seen from southern UK. <\/p>\n\n

Saturn <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Best time to see:<\/strong> 31 May, from 03:00 BST (02:00 UT)
Altitude<\/strong>: 6\u00b0 (low)
Location<\/strong>: Aquarius
Direction<\/strong>: East-southeast <\/p>\n\n

Low in the east-southeast, Saturn is visible in the dawn twilight. It is currently a morning object, not well-placed. The best time to see it is at the end of the month when, under brightening twilight, it reaches around 12\u00b0 above the southeast horizon. When solar conjunctions occur before or around the June solstice, as is currently the case, the re-emergence of the main planets from the Sun\u2019s glare tends to be poor. More encouragingly, the 2023 oppositions of Jupiter and Saturn are looking promising, with relatively good altitude. <\/p>\n\n

Uranus <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Not visible <\/strong>
Uranus is in conjunction with the Sun on 9 May and not currently visible. <\/p>\n\n

Neptune <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Not visible<\/strong>
Neptune is a morning object lost in the dawn twilight. <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

More ONLINE
<\/strong>Print out observing forms for recording planetary events
www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/bonus-content\/KZRG5FS<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

The planets in May<\/h4>\n\n


The phase and relative sizes of the planets this month. Each planet is shown with south at the top, to show its orientation through a telescope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

JUPITER\u2019S MOONS: <\/strong>MAY <\/h4>\n\n

Using a small scope you can spot Jupiter\u2019s biggest moons. Their positions change dramatically over the month, as shown on the diagram. The line by each date represents 01:00 BST (00:00 UT). <\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

PICTURES: PETE LAWRENCE <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our celestial neighbourhood in May<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":43808,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"48","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"48","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_48-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_48-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"May-2023","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"May-2023","purple_external_id":"May-2023-48-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"May-2023-48-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086564||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086564||","purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.216","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.216","purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.216","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.216","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"075fab74-0a21-4201-866a-899d6c41c40c","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[14],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/04\/b1164e6d-de93-4564-9ca9-fac8c28ec75a.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/04\/b1164e6d-de93-4564-9ca9-fac8c28ec75a.jpg",1402,1276,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/04\/b1164e6d-de93-4564-9ca9-fac8c28ec75a-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/04\/b1164e6d-de93-4564-9ca9-fac8c28ec75a-300x273.jpg",300,273,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/04\/b1164e6d-de93-4564-9ca9-fac8c28ec75a-768x699.jpg",768,699,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/04\/b1164e6d-de93-4564-9ca9-fac8c28ec75a-1024x932.jpg",800,728,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/04\/b1164e6d-de93-4564-9ca9-fac8c28ec75a.jpg",1402,1276,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/04\/b1164e6d-de93-4564-9ca9-fac8c28ec75a.jpg",1402,1276,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Our celestial neighbourhood in May","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43812"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43812"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44319,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43812\/revisions\/44319"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}