Home
May 2008
For a legend of abbreviations and data found on this page, click here
Moon Phases
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
. . . .123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
This Months Events
Sources: Sky & Telescope, Astronomy Magazines
-- Mercury climbs higher in the early evening sky through the first half of the month.
4 Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks.
6 The Moon passes just north of Mercury at sunset.
10 The Moon passes less than a degree north of Mars just before dawn.
10 The Moon skirts the Beehive cluster (eastern US).
12 The Moon passes 3° south of Saturn.
13 Mercury at greatest eastern elongation (22°)
22-23 Mars drifts across the Beehive cluster.
24 The Moon passes 2° south of Jupiter.
Observing Lists
Sky and Telescope: This Week's Sky at a Glance
Abrams Planetarium: Skywatcher's Diary
StarDate Online: Monthly Sky Almanac
StarDate Online: Weekly Tips
Astronomy Now: Eye on the Sky (UK)
Yearly Sky Chart
Flash Animation
(37.4°N lat. @ 10pm)
Display: Evening Morning   Set Map Display
Messier Objects
SEDS Monthly Messier Tour (adjusted by 1 month)
M NGC Const Type S.B. Mag Size (min) Rise Set Common Name
88 4501 Com Gal 22 11.0 7 x 4 16:09 05:35
91 4548 Com Gal 22.3 11.5 5.4 x 4.4 16:12 05:38
98 4192 Com Gal 22.7 11.0 9.5 x 3.2 15:49 05:18
99 4254 Com Gal 22.2 10.5 5.4 x 4.8 15:55 05:22
100 4321 Com Gal 22.6 10.5 7 x 6 15:55 05:30
58 4579 Vir Gal 22 11.0 5.5 x 4.5 16:22 05:33
59 4621 Vir Gal 20.8 11.5 5 x 3.5 16:27 05:37
60 4649 Vir Gal 20.8 10.5 7 x 6 16:29 05:38
84 4374 Vir Gal 20.5 11.0 5.0 16:06 05:23
86 4406 Vir Gal 21.4 11.0 7.5 x 5.5 16:07 05:25
87 4486 Vir Gal 19.6 11.0 7.0 16:13 05:28 Virgo A
89 4552 Vir Gal 21.1 11.5 4.0 16:18 05:33
90 4569 Vir Gal 20.7 11.0 9.5 x 4.5 16:17 05:36
The Immortal Beast
Sky & Telescope Magazine, Deep Sky Wonders by Sue French, May 2008, p. 74
Object Type Mag Size RA Dec
Σ1402/CIR 2 Multiple Star 7.7, 8.9, 9.6 32", 134" 10h 04.9m +55° 29'
NGC 3070 Galaxy 10.9 7.9' x 1.4' 10h 02.0m +55° 41'
NGC 3073 Galaxy 13.4 1.2' x 1.2' 10h 00.9m +55° 37'
W Ursae Majoris Variable Star 7.8 - 8.5 -- 9h 43.8m +55° 57'
Spade Asterism -- 1.1° 9h 42.6m +53° 17'
UGC 5459 Galaxy 12.6 4.0' x 0.5' 10h 08.2m +53° 05'
How to Observe Dark Nebulae (19 Dark Nebulae)
Astronomy Magazine, Deep-Sky Observing by Steve Coe, May 2008, p. 64
Object Constellation RA Dec Size
Barnard 33 Orion 5h 41m -2° 27' 4'
Barnard 59 Ophiuchus 17h 11m -27° 29' 1°
Barnard 63 Ophiuchus 17h 16m -21° 28' 1°
Barnard 65 Ophiuchus 17h 19m -26° 42' 12'
Barnard 66 Ophiuchus 17h 20m -26° 53' 8'
Barnard 67 Ophiuchus 17h 21m -26° 51' 13'
Barnard 72 Ophiuchus 17h 23m -23° 37' 4'
Barnard 78 Ophiuchus 17h 32m -25° 35' 3°
Barnard 86 Sagittarius 18h 03m -27° 52' 5'
Barnard 88 Sagittarius 18h 04m -24° 6' 2.7' x 0.5'
Barnard 92 Sagittarius 18h 15m -18° 13' 15' x 9'
Barnard 93 Sagittarius 18h 16m -18° 3' 2'
Barnard 133 Aquila 19h 06m -6° 53' 5' x 10'
Barnard 142 Aquila 19h 39m 10° 31' 40'
Barnard 143 Aquila 19h 41m 11° 0' 30'
Barnard 145 Cygnus 20h 02m 37° 40' 20' x 5'
Barnard 168 Cygnus 21h 53m 47° 16' 10'
Bernes 157 Corona Australis 19h 03m -37° 8' 55 x 18'
Coalsack Crux 12h 52m -63° 18' 7° x 4°
Double Stars
from Astronomy League 100 Doubles List
Name Const RA Dec Mag A Mag B Sep
Kappa Bootis Boo 14h14m +51°47' 4.6 6.6 13.4"
Iota Bootis Boo 14h16m +51°22' 4.9 7.5 38"
Pi Bootis Boo 14h41m +16°25' 4.9 5.8 5.6"
Epsilon Bootis Boo 14h45m +27°04' 2.5 4.9 2.8"
Xi Bootis Boo 14h51m +19°06' 4.7 7.0 6.9"
Delta Bootis Boo 15h16m +33°19' 3.5 8.7 105"
Mu Bootis Boo 15h25m +37°23' 4.3 7.0 108"
24 Comae Berenices Com 12h35m +18°23' 5.2 6.7 20.3"
Zeta Corona Borealis CrB 15h39m +36°38' 5.1 6.0 6.3"
Sigma Corona Borealis CrB 16h15m +33°52' 5.6 6.6 6.2"
Delta Corvi Crv 12h30m -16°31' 3.0 9.2 24.2"
Alpha Canum Venaticorum CVn 12h56m +38°19' 2.9 5.5 19.4"
N Hydrae Hyd 11h32m -29°16' 5.8 5.9 9.2"
Gamma Leporis Leo 05h45m -22°27' 3.7 6.3 96"
Alpha Leonis Leo 10h08m +11°58' 1.4 7.7 177"
Gamma Leonis Leo 10h20m +19°51' 2.2 3.5 4.4"
54 Leonis Leo 10h56m +24°45' 4.5 6.3 6.5"
Alpha Ursa Minoris Uma 02h32m +89°16' 2.0 9.0 18.4"
Gamma Virginis Vir 12h42m -01°27' 3.5 3.5 3.6"
from Alan Adler Doubles Lists; Sky & Telescope, January and July 2001
Name Const RA Dec Mag A Mag B Sep
p Bootis Boo 14h41m +16°25' 4.9 5.8 5.6"
e Bootis Boo 14h45m +27°04' 2.5 4.9 2.6"
39 Bootis Boo 14h50m +48°43' 6.2 6.8 2.7"
24 Comae Berenices Com 12h35m +18°23' 5 6.6 20.6"
ζ Coronae Borealis CrB 15h39m +36°38' 5 6 6.1"
σ Coronae Borealis CrB 16h15m +33°52' 5.6 6.6 6.9"
α Canum Venaticorum (Cor Caroli) CVn 12h56m +38°19' 2.9 5.6 18.8"
Ν Hydrae Hya 11h32m -29°16' 5.6 5.8 9.4"
γ Leonis (Algieba) Leo 10h20m +19°50' 2.3 3.5 4.5"
54 Leonis Leo 10h56m +24°45' 4.3 6.3 6.6"
ε Ursae Majoris UMa 11h18m +31°32' 4.3 4.8 1.7"
ζ Ursae Majoris (Mizar) UMa 13h24m +54°56' 2.3 3.9 14.4"
γ Virginis (Porrima) Vir 12h42m -1°27' 3.5 3.5 1.7"
Jupiter: Satellite and Great Red Spot Events
Event information from CalSky (www.calsky.com)
Date Time Moon Event
Fri 2 6h02.0m -- GRS Transit
Sat 3 1h53.3m -- GRS Transit
Sun 4 3h30.0m Europa Transit Begin (5.9 mag)
Sun 4 3h47.4m Europa Shadow End (5.9 mag)
Sun 4 6h12.8m Europa Transit End (5.9 mag)
Mon 5 2h16.8m Io Shadow Begin (5.3 mag)
Mon 5 3h30.0m Io Transit Begin (5.3 mag)
Mon 5 3h31.6m -- GRS Transit
Mon 5 4h32.6m Io Shadow End (5.3 mag)
Mon 5 5h46.2m Io Transit End (5.3 mag)
Wed 7 5h09.9m -- GRS Transit
Thu 8 1h01.2m -- GRS Transit
Sat 10 2h39.4m -- GRS Transit
Sun 11 1h26.9m Ganymed Transit Begin (4.9 mag)
Sun 11 3h39.0m Europa Shadow Begin (5.9 mag)
Sun 11 4h39.2m Ganymed Transit End (4.9 mag)
Sun 11 5h55.6m Europa Transit Begin (5.9 mag)
Mon 12 4h10.6m Io Shadow Begin (5.3 mag)
Mon 12 4h17.6m -- GRS Transit
Mon 12 5h19.7m Io Transit Begin (5.3 mag)
Wed 14 0h55.1m Io Shadow End (5.3 mag)
Wed 14 2h03.3m Io Transit End (5.3 mag)
Wed 14 5h55.8m -- GRS Transit
Thu 15 1h47.1m -- GRS Transit
Sat 17 3h25.3m -- GRS Transit
Sun 18 0h46.1m Ganymed Shadow Begin (4.8 mag)
Sun 18 3h52.8m Ganymed Shadow End (4.8 mag)
Sun 18 5h05.1m Ganymed Transit Begin (4.8 mag)
Date Time Moon Event
Mon 19 5h03.5m -- GRS Transit
Tue 20 0h54.7m -- GRS Transit
Wed 21 0h33.0m Io Shadow Begin (5.2 mag)
Wed 21 1h35.5m Io Transit Begin (5.2 mag)
Wed 21 2h49.1m Io Shadow End (5.2 mag)
Wed 21 3h51.7m Io Transit End (5.2 mag)
Thu 22 0h12.9m Europa Transit End (5.8 mag)
Thu 22 2h32.9m -- GRS Transit
Sat 24 4h11.0m -- GRS Transit
Sun 25 0h02.2m -- GRS Transit
Sun 25 4h45.5m Ganymed Shadow Begin (4.8 mag)
Mon 26 5h49.1m -- GRS Transit
Tue 27 1h40.3m -- GRS Transit
Wed 28 2h27.0m Io Shadow Begin (5.2 mag)
Wed 28 3h22.9m Io Transit Begin (5.2 mag)
Wed 28 4h43.1m Io Shadow End (5.2 mag)
Wed 28 5h39.2m Io Transit End (5.2 mag)
Wed 28 23h50.3m Europa Transit Begin (5.8 mag)
Thu 29 0h45.2m Europa Shadow End (5.8 mag)
Thu 29 2h33.3m Europa Transit End (5.8 mag)
Thu 29 3h18.4m -- GRS Transit
Fri 30 0h05.9m Io Transit End (5.2 mag)
Fri 30 2h22.4m Callisto Shadow Begin (5.9 mag)
Fri 30 5h34.9m Callisto Shadow End (5.9 mag)
Sat 31 4h56.5m -- GRS Transit
Last Updated May 20, 2008