Sky Events

May 2025

May 3: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars, with an angular separation of 2°04′

May 4: First Quarter Moon

May 6: The η-Aquariid meteor shower reaches its peak activity of about 40 meteors per hour.

May 11: Globular cluster M5 in Serpens is well-placed for observation.

May 12: Full Moon

May 20: Third Quarter Moon

May 22: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in the early morning, with an angular separation of 2°49′

May 23: Conjunction of the Moon and Venus in the early morning, with an angular separation of 3°59′

May 28: The globular cluster M4 in Scorpius is well-placed for observation.

May 31: Venus at greatest western elongation

Planets in May

Mercury: Morning planet, too low to be seen properly.

Venus: Morning planet, lowering so hard to see before sunrise.

Mars: Evening planet, best at start of May

Jupiter: Evening planet in Taurus, compromised by twilight mid-month onwards

Saturn: Poorly placed morning planet forming a compact triangle with Venus and Neptune early in May.


June 2025

June 1: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars, with an angular separation of 1°23′ 

June 2: The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules (M13) is well-placed for observation.

June 2: First Quarter Moon

June 3: The globular cluster M12 in Ophiuchus is well-placed for observation.

June 5: The globular cluster M5 in Ophiuchus is well-placed for observation.

June 10: The Daytime Arietid meteor shower reaches its peak activity of about 50 meteors per hour.

June 11: Full Moon

June 11: The globular cluster M92 in Hercules is well-placed for observation.

June 18: Third Quarter Moon

June 18: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn, with an angular separation of 3°23′

June 20: Summer Solstice

June 22: Conjunction of the Moon and Venus, with an angular separation of 7°10′

June 29: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars, with an angular separation of 12′

Planets in June

Mercury: Best placed at end of June in evening sky. 

Venus: Morning planet. Greatest western elongation on June 1.

Mars: Low altitude morning planet. Conjunction with Regulus on June 16.

Jupiter: Evening planet, near the Sun. Solar conjunction on June 24, thereafter a morning planet.

Saturn: Another poorly located morning planet, currently close to Neptune.