The May StarDial
Jehana

Mon May 11 21:05:31 1998
The May 1998 StarDial * Celestial Happenings *p**p*May 01 - the Bootids meteor shower peaks. These are smaller than the Eta Aquarids, which peak a few days later. Look near the constellation Bootes, or high in the southern sky. *p*May 02 - Astronomy Day *p*May 03 - First Quarter Moon at 6:04 am, EDT. *p*May 04 - Mercury at greatest western elongation (26.5 Degrees), 1 pm, EDT. *p*May 05 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower peak. Higher numbers of meteors should be viewable in the southern hemisphere; and for northerners, in the hours just before dawn. Look in the southern or south-eastern skies. *p*May 08 - Moon at apogee, 4:56 am, EDT -- furtherest point from Earth. *p*May 11 - Full Moon at 10:29 am, EDT. *p*May 12 - Mercury passes 0.8 degrees south of Saturn, noon EDT. Your best bet to see these two planets near each other will be about 30 minutes before sunrise on the 13th, rising up in the eastern sky. *p*May 12 - Mars conjuncts the Sun, 4 pm, EDT. *p*May 19 - Final Quarter Moon at 12:35 am, EDT. *p*May 20 - Moon passes 0.4 degrees south of Jupiter at 7 pm, EDT. *p*May 21 - Space Day *p*May 22 - Moon passes 1.7 degrees south of Venus at 6 pm, EDT. *p*May 23 - Moon passes 1.7 degrees south of Saturn, at 4 am EDT. *p*May 23 - Moon is at perigee (closest point to Earth) at 8:02 pm, EDT. *p*May 24 - Moon passes 3 degrees south of Mercury at 7 am, EDT. *p*May 25 - Dark Moon at 3:32 pm, EDT. *p*May 28 - Venus passes 0.3 degrees north of Saturn at 10 pm, EDT. Your best bet to see them is about 30 minutes before sunrise on the 29th, when they will appear to be coming up over the eastern horizon.