The Solar Almanac

This month's events in astronomy.

 
Highlights
 
Mercury and Venus Set Records
It's a month of maxes for Mercury and Venus. As seen from the Northern Hemisphere, this month Venus reaches its highest for the Spring, its farthest north (for 5 years), and its latest setting (for 8 years). Later this month, Venus will be setting around midnight, and Mercury around 10 PM (its latest for 6 years). This will be the best sunset appearance of Mercury till 2014 (in terms of its altitude): Mercury will be 20° above the horizon — that's nearly a record. Venus's altitude of 40° is not a record, but Venus will be bright enough to make a shadow every night. For exact dates, times, and angles, see your customized calendar below.
Map: Looking west at sunset. Zenith is up.
Visibility: Naked eye.

 

 31 days hath May 2007. 

This almanac was computed for the customer at:

Location:

somewhere in North America

Latitude:

40°00'00" N

Longitude:

100°00'00" W

Color Key:  event occurs in daylight   moonlit night   starry night 

 All times are CT. 

Tuesday
1
May 2007
05:50:46  Mars 1.8°E of Uranus.
05:58:48  Moonset.
06:40:26  Sunrise.
20:18:28  Moonrise.
20:34:31  Sunset.
Wednesday
2
May 2007
05:10:37  Moon at Opposition in Longitude.
05:10:37  Moon at Full Moon.
06:23:39  Moonset.
06:39:11  Sunrise.
06:53:22  Sun Greatest Elongation from Moon, 174°54'59".
20:35:31  Sunset.
21:21:29  Moonrise.
21:53:31  Sun 0.2°N of Mercury.
23:06:43  Mercury in Conjunction with Sun.
23:26:04  Mercury at Greatest Brilliancy, -2.27.
23:37:38  Sun Least Elongation from Mercury, 00°10'31".
23:37:38  Sun Occultation of Mercury, 0037 to 0837 UT.
Thursday
3
May 2007
06:37:58  Sunrise.
06:49:30  Sun 0.4°W of Mercury.
06:53:16  Moonset.
20:36:31  Sunset.
22:24:59  Moonrise.
Friday
4
May 2007
06:36:45  Sunrise.
07:29:27  Moonset.
20:37:31  Sunset.
23:26:50  Moonrise.
Saturday
5
May 2007
06:35:35  Sunrise.
08:13:51  Moonset.
20:38:31  Sunset.
23:21:21  Moon Southernmost Declination, -28°20'21".
Sunday
6
May 2007
00:24:12  Moonrise.
04:45:46  Moon Lowest Upper Culmination, 21°41'51" high.
06:34:25  Sunrise.
09:07:17  Moonset.
20:39:31  Sunset.

Planets in the Sunrise

 
Look east at dawn.
Same view, animated.
Monday
7
May 2007
01:14:42  Moonrise.
06:33:17  Sunrise.
10:08:54  Moonset.
20:40:30  Sunset.
Tuesday
8
May 2007
01:57:26  Moonrise.
06:32:10  Sunrise.
11:16:21  Moonset.
15:05:53  Mercury at Perihelion, 28 583 667 miles.
20:41:30  Sunset.
Wednesday
9
May 2007
02:33:08  Moonrise.
06:31:04  Sunrise.
07:05:10  Saturn at Eastern Quadrature.
12:26:53  Moonset.
20:42:29  Sunset.
20:42:29  Venus Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 38°02'48".
23:28:09  Moon at Western Quadrature.
23:28:09  Moon at Last Quarter.

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Thursday
10
May 2007
02:00:59  Neptune 2.7°N of Moon.
03:03:24  Moonrise.
04:03:59  Neptune Least Elongation from Moon, 02°31'55".
06:30:00  Sunrise.
06:30:00  Moon Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 29°34'03".
10:29:50  Sun Greatest Elongation from 1566-Icarus, 43°55'07".
10:56:48  Venus Northernmost Declination, 25°59'57".
13:38:34  Moonset.
13:44:58  Neptune 4.8°W of Moon.
20:43:27  Sunset.

Naked-Eye Asteroid

 
Vesta is bright in May. The asteroid 4 Vesta begins the month at magnitude +6.04, brightening to +5.43 by month's end, when Vesta reaches opposition and its closest approach to Earth for the year, at a distance of only 106 million miles.
Antares (α Sco) is at lower right.
Visibility: Late night, in Serpens and Scorpius, near Jupiter. Moonlight interferes at end of month — look in early and mid-May. Binoculars helpful.
Duration: All month.
Friday
11
May 2007
03:15:50  4-Vesta Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 36°08'59".
03:30:03  Moonrise.
04:48:17  4-Vesta Northernmost Declination, -13°51'00".
06:28:58  Sunrise.
14:50:47  Moonset.
20:39:38  Sun Total Darkness Begins at South Pole.
20:44:26  Sunset.
23:38:44  Uranus 0.9°E of Moon.
Saturday
12
May 2007
00:50:32  Uranus Least Elongation from Moon, 00°20'30".
01:02:23  Uranus 0.4°S of Moon.
03:54:50  Moonrise.
06:27:57  Sunrise.
11:17:57  Mars 4.8°E of Moon.
16:03:58  Moonset.
19:21:09  Mars Least Elongation from Moon, 02°25'35".
20:45:24  Sunset.
20:45:44  Mars 2.6°S of Moon.
21:56:08  Neptune at Western Quadrature.
Sunday
13
May 2007
04:19:27  Moonrise.
06:26:57  Sunrise.
17:19:05  Moonset.
20:46:22  Sunset.

Planets After Dark

 
Northern Hemisphere observers get a rare treat this month: Like Venus, Mercury will appear at the same predictable azimuth for 40 days. Simply look 20° North of West, every night at sunset from May 10 to June 20.
Like a slow skyrocket, the planet Mercury shoots upward.
The Moon makes Mercury easy to spot on May 17.
Venus is nearly stationary this month.
Map: Looking west at sunset. Zenith is up.

Closeup on Venus

At sunset, Venus will predictably appear in the same tiny patch of sky all month. The crescent Moon will join it on May 19.
Monday
14
May 2007
04:45:38  Moonrise.
06:25:59  Sunrise.
18:37:02  Moonset.
20:47:19  Sunset.
Tuesday
15
May 2007
05:15:24  Moonrise.
06:25:03  Sunrise.
10:05:32  Moon at Perigee, 223 322 miles.
19:57:45  Moonset.
20:48:16  Sunset.
Wednesday
16
May 2007
05:51:11  Moonrise.
06:24:08  Sunrise.
12:50:26  Sun Least Elongation from Moon, 04°32'16".
14:28:27  Moon in Conjunction with Sun.
14:28:27  Moon at New Moon.
17:41:52  Sun 4.7°S of Moon.
20:49:12  Sunset.
21:18:58  Moonset.
Thursday
17
May 2007
06:23:15  Sunrise.
06:35:32  Moonrise.
20:41:11  Mercury 2.5°S of Moon.
20:50:08  Sunset.
20:55:14  Mercury Least Elongation from Moon, 02°32'41".
22:35:54  Moonset.
Friday
18
May 2007
06:22:23  Sunrise.
07:30:14  Moonrise.
15:36:25  Moon Highest Culmination, 78°16'18" high.
18:03:53  Moon Northernmost Declination, 28°17'01".
20:51:04  Sunset.
23:43:02  Moonset.
Saturday
19
May 2007
06:21:33  Sunrise.
08:34:26  Moonrise.
20:51:59  Sunset.
21:33:55  Venus 1.1°S of Moon.
22:14:29  Venus Least Elongation from Moon, 01°02'42".

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Venus Near Moon

 
Venus and the Moon get cozy the evening of May 19-20.
Visible in daylight, moonrise to moonset, best about 9 PM, but try to find them in daylight, because you'll need the practice when you look for the Moon next to Saturn on May 22. Moon plotted hourly. Map computed for SW USA.
Visibility: USA. Binoculars helpful.
Duration: 1 day only.
 
Sunday
20
May 2007
00:37:27  Moonset.
06:20:45  Sunrise.
09:44:17  Moonrise.
20:52:53  Sunset.
Monday
21
May 2007
01:19:52  Moonset.
06:19:58  Sunrise.
10:55:01  Moonrise.
20:53:46  Sunset.
Tuesday
22
May 2007
01:53:02  Moonset.
06:19:14  Sunrise.
12:03:22  Moonrise.
12:31:17  Saturn 0.5°S of Moon.
12:47:14  Saturn Least Elongation from Moon, 00°28'15".
15:40:06  Saturn 1.4°W of Moon.
20:54:39  Sunset.
20:54:39  Moon Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 58°11'08".
22:29:09  Neptune Northernmost Declination, -14°24'25".

Saturn Near Moon

 
Saturn and the Moon are in conjunction all afternoon and evening, May 22.
Moon plotted hourly. Map computed for the Washington DC area.
Visibility: USA. Visible in daylight, best about 2 PM ET. Binoculars or telescope necessary.
Duration: 1 day only.
 
Wednesday
23
May 2007
02:19:48  Moonset.
06:18:31  Sunrise.
11:11:17  433-Eros Stationary in Right Ascension, 20h16m22s.
13:08:18  Moonrise.
16:03:44  Moon at Eastern Quadrature.
16:03:44  Moon at First Quarter.
20:55:31  Sunset.
Thursday
24
May 2007
00:26:23  Venus Latest Setting.
02:42:29  Moonset.
06:17:49  Sunrise.
14:10:11  Moonrise.
20:56:22  Sunset.
21:49:09  Neptune Stationary in Right Ascension, 21h37m56s.
Friday
25
May 2007
03:02:51  Moonset.
06:17:10  Sunrise.
15:10:04  Moonrise.
20:57:13  Sunset.
Saturday
26
May 2007
03:22:15  Moonset.
06:16:32  Sunrise.
09:04:21  Mercury Northernmost Declination, 25°39'04".
16:09:13  Moonrise.
20:58:02  Sunset.
Sunday
27
May 2007
03:41:54  Moonset.
06:15:56  Sunrise.
16:52:07  Moon at Apogee, 251 945 miles.
17:08:47  Moonrise.
20:58:51  Sunset.
Monday
28
May 2007
04:02:58  Moonset.
06:15:22  Sunrise.
18:09:42  Moonrise.
20:59:38  Sunset.
22:15:16  3-Juno Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 54°28'02".
Tuesday
29
May 2007
03:57:28  Pluto Northernmost Declination, -16°22'24".
04:26:46  Moonset.
06:14:50  Sunrise.
06:55:27  3-Juno Northernmost Declination, 04°28'05".
19:12:18  Moonrise.
21:00:25  Sunset.
21:00:25  Mercury Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 19°00'42".
Wednesday
30
May 2007
03:02:29  Pluto Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 33°37'36".
04:54:52  Moonset.
06:14:20  Sunrise.
09:08:40  4-Vesta at Opposition in Longitude.
17:52:28  Sun Greatest Elongation from 4-Vesta, 172°13'28".
19:50:50  4-Vesta at Greatest Brilliancy, +5.43.
20:16:00  Moonrise.
21:01:10  Sunset.
Thursday
31
May 2007
05:29:07  Moonset.
06:13:51  Sunrise.
09:58:58  1-Ceres at Least Brilliancy, +9.26.
17:31:29  Sun Greatest Elongation from Moon, 174°43'05".
18:54:28  4-Vesta Closest Approach to Earth, 106 227 679 miles.
20:04:42  Moon at Opposition in Longitude.
20:04:42  Moon at Full Moon.
21:01:55  Sunset.
21:19:02  Moonrise.
22:55:28  Mercury Latest Setting.

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was conceived, computed, and produced for the web by:

J. E. Brown

Copyright © 2007 J. E. Brown all rights reserved