Astronomy News for the Month of May 2025


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Rocket Report for 04/29/2025 through 05/13/2025
Courtesy of "The Rocketman" Ed W6RDZ
Updated Weekly on Tuesday evenings
prior to the Colorado Astronomy Net

In this Newsletter...


Background screen credits: NGC5775
Imaged March 21/22, 2001
using the 16" Kitt Peak Visitors Center telescope
as part of the Kitt Peak Advanced Observing Program.


"Mars stands near the Beehive Cluster (M44) at upper left in this 2010 astro photo. The Red Planet again visits the Beehive this month." Astronomy Magazine, May 2025, p. 28. - Alan Dyer


The Month At-A-Glance
A calendar displaying the daily astronomical events.


16 day moon

The Moon

Phases

Apogee/Perigee

Moon/Planet Pairs

For reference: The Full Moon subtends an angle of ~0.5°.

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Calendar of All Astronomical Events 2025

The Planets & Dwarf Planets

Planetary Reports generated by "TheSkyX" software. These reports provide predicted data for the planets for the first of each month for the current year. The rise and set times for the Sun and the Moon for each day of the month as well as meteor shower radiants are also included in the reports. These reports have been optimized for the Denver, Colorado location, however, the times will be approximate for other locations on Earth.

(Times are Mountain Daylight Time (MDT/MST) unless otherwise noted. Times will vary slightly depending on your location.)

Planetary Highlights for May

"Jupiter and Mars are on display during May evenings. It's your last chance to grab a good view of Jupiter before it drops out of sight for midsummer. A gathering of planets in the morning sky offers some nice opportunities, and in the first week of May they're joined by meteors from the annual Eta Aquariid shower." Astronomy Magazine, May 2025, p. 28.

Mercury

Is in superior conjunction on the 29th. Mercury rises at 5:10 a.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Mercury returns to the evening sky, setting about 8:41 p.m. by month's end. Mercury is visible about 30 minutes before sunrise just above the eastern horizon during the first 3 weeks of the month. Mercury moves from the constellation of Pisces into Taurus shining at magnitude 0.1 on the 1st.

Venus

Rises about 4:15 a.m. on the 1st and about 3:28 a.m. by month's end. Venus is at greatest western elongation (46°) on the 31st. Look for Venus to the east about 30 minutes to an hour before sunrise. Venus is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude -4.6 on the 15th.

Earth

N/A.

Mars

Sets at 2:13 a.m. on the 1st and about 12:53 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mars to the southwest in the evening. Mars moves from the constellation of Cancer into Leo shining at magnitude 1.1.

Jupiter

Sets at 11:07 p.m. on the 1st and about 9:35 p.m. by month's end. Jupiter is rapidly approaching the western horizon as the month progresses, so get out early to catch Jupiter before it sets. Jupiter is easy to spot to the west-southwest in the evening sky. Jupiter is in the constellation of Taurus shining at magnitude -1.9.

Saturn

Rises at 4:23 a.m. on the 1st and about 2:28 a.m. by month's end. Look for Saturn low to the east before sunrise. Saturn is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 1.1.

Uranus

Is in conjunction with the Sun on the 17th. Uranus sets at 9:05 p.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Uranus returns to the morning sky, rising about 4:52 a.m. by month's end. Look for Uranus to the southwest soon after sunset during the first week of the month, then during the last few days of the month to the east, very low to the horizon. Uranus is in the constellation Taurus shining at magnitude 5.8.

Neptune

Rises at 4:27 a.m. on the 1st and about 2:27 a.m. by the month's end. Look for Neptune to the east following Saturn by just a few minutes all month. Neptune is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 7.8.

Dwarf Planets

Ceres

Rises at 4:48 a.m. on the 1st and about 3:13 a.m. by month's end. Ceres can be spotted low to the southeast before sunrise. Ceres moves from the constellation of Aquarius into Cetus shining at magnitude 9.3.

Pluto

Is stationary on the 6th. Pluto rises at 2:07 a.m. on the 1st and about 12:04 a.m. by month's end. Pluto can be spotted before sunrise to the southeast. Pluto is in the constellation of Capricornus shining at magnitude 15.3.

As always, good luck at spotting Neptune, Ceres and Pluto, a large telescope and dark skies will be needed.

Constellation information provided by Go Astronomy.

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Astronomical Events

Meteor Showers

  • The Eta Aquariids meteor shower - This shower is visible during the period of April 21 to May 12. It reaches maximum on May 5. During the period of greatest activity hourly rates usually reach 20 for observers in the northern hemisphere and 50 for observers in the southern hemisphere.

    Meteor Shower Radiant Report

    For more information about Meteor Showers, visit Gary Kronk's Meteor Showers Online web page.

    Meteor Scatter (or Meteor burst communications) - "is a radio propagation mode that exploits the ionized trails of meteors during atmospheric entry to establish brief communications paths between radio stations up to 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi) apart." Tune your shortwave or your HF amateur radio to 54.310 MHz SSB and see if you can hear any pings. Try other frequencies as well... 6m FT8 digital - 50.313 Mhz & 50.276 Mhz, JP-65 digital mode and the carrier frequencies of the lower VHF bands for TV channels 2, 3 & 4.

    Meteor Rx How-To by Terry Bullett (WØASP)

  • Comets

  • Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is in the constellation of Leo this month, and may reach 11th magnitude. An 8-inch telescope or better will be needed well away from city lights to spot this elusive object.

  • For information, orbital elements and ephemerides on observable comets, visit Observable Comets.

    For more information about Comets, visit Gary Kronk's Cometography.com webpage.

  • Eclipses

    Solar Eclipses

  • No solar eclipse activity this month.

    Lunar Eclipses

  • No lunar eclipse activity this month.

  • Observational Opportunities

  • Look for Jupiter and Mars in the evening to the west.
  • Look for Pluto, Ceres, Saturn, Mercury, Venus and Neptune in the morning to the east.

  • Asteroids

    (From west to east)
    • Vesta is at opposition on the 2nd in the constellation of Virgo.
    • Metis is at opposition on the 9th in the constellation of Libra.
    • Juno is at opposition on the 14th in the constellation of Libra.
    • Hebe is in the constellation of Aquarius.

    • Information about the Minor Planets can be found at the Minor Planet Observer website.
    Ocultations

    IOTA Logo

  • Information on various occultations can be found by clicking the IOTA logo.

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    Member Meteor Sightings

    In this section I will post meteor, fireball, etc sightings that have been published on the American Meteor Society's web site. I want to make this an active section of the web pages and newsletter and would like to publish the links to member sightings. If you have any published sightings, please provide me with the links and I will post them here for all to enjoy.

    Event ID Date/Time Location Observer Link
    3871-2015 2015-11-13 01:55 MST CO Charles N 3871a
    3587-2015 2015-11-22 17:38 MST CO Kevin S 3587aw
    3829-2015 2015-12-05 18:06 MST CO Burness A 3829a
      986-2020 2020-02-21 22:20 MST CO Lukas S 986
    3716-2020 2020-07-24 23:22 MDT CO Lukas S 3716
    4774-2021 2021-08-13 21:57 MDT UT Lukas S 4774
    7044-2021 2021-10-28 20:37 MDT CO Burness A 249058
    6763-2022 2022-10-06 05:56 CDT OK Mike C 6763
    5300-2023 2023-09-11 22:04 MDT CO Lukas S 5300
    578-2024 2024-01-28 23:05 MST CO Lukas S 578

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