Sky Chart For The Month of May, 2008
ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR MAY 2008
The Moon
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New Moon occurs on 5th at h. 17-48 I.S.T. |
First Quarter occurs on 12th at h. 09-17 I.S.T. |
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Full Moon occurs on 20th at h. 07-41 I.S.T. |
Last Quarter occurs on 28th at h. 08-27 I.S.T. |
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The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 6th. |
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The Moon is at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 6th and at Apogee or farthest from the Earth on 20th. |
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The Moon passes about 3½º north of Uranus in the early hours of 2nd, 2½º north of Mercury in the early hours of 7th, very close to Mars in the evening of 10th, about 3º south of Saturn on 13th, 2½º south of Jupiter on 24th, about ½º north of Neptune on 27th and about 4º north of Uranus on 29th.
The Planets
The Visibility of Planets
:Mercury
: The planet can be seen in the evening low in the western sky after sunset. It sets about 1 hour to 1½ hours after sunset upto third quarter of the month and about 1½ hours to 1 hour after it upto 30th day of the month. Thereafter it becomes too near to the Sun to be visible. It is in Greatest Eastern Elongation of about 22º from the Sun on 14th. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth on 26th.Venus
: The planet remains too near to the Sun to be visible from the first quarter of the month and remains so throughout the month.Mars
: The planet can be seen in the western sky before local midnight throughout the month. It sets about ½ hour to 1½ hours before local midnight throughout the month. It approaches Aphelion position or reaches farthest from the Sun on 13th.Jupiter
: The planet can be seen in the eastern sky before local midnight and visible till the beginning of morning twilight throughout the month. It rises about ½ hour to 1 hour before local midnight in the first quarter of the month, about 1 hour to 1½ hours before it in the second quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it in the third quarter of the month and about 2 hours to 2½ hours before it for the remaining days of the month. Motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth on 9th.Saturn
: The planet can be seen in the evening throughout the month. It sets about 1½ hours to ½ hour after local midnight upto third quarter of the month. Thereafter it sets around local midnight time for the remaining days of the month. The motion of the planet becomes Direct with respect to the Earth on 3rd and it is in Quadrature with the Sun on 22nd.Uranus
: The planet can be seen in the eastern sky after local midnight throughout the month. It rises about 2½ hours to 1½ hours after local midnight upto second quarter of the month and about 1½ hours to ½ hour after it during the remaining days of the month.Neptune
: The planet can be seen in the eastern sky after local midnight. It rises about 1 hour to ½ hour after local midnight upto second quarter of the month. Thereafter it rises about ½ hour after local midnight to 1 hour before it for the remaining days of the month, being in Quadrature with the Sun on 14th. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth on 26th.Conjunction of Planets :
Mercury passes about 8º North of the star Aldebaran (Rohini) on 17th.
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Planets |
Planets in Zodiacal Constellation |
Magnitude |
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Mercury (Budha) |
Remains in Taurus (Vrisha). |
-0.7 to +3.1 |
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Venus (Sukra) |
Moves from Aries (Mesha) to Taurus (Vrisha) on 20th. |
-3.9 |
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Mars (Mangala) |
Remains in Cancer (Karkata). |
+1.2 to +1.4 |
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Jupiter (Brihaspati) |
Remains in Sagittarius (Dhanus) |
-2.5 |
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Saturn (Sani) |
Remains in Leo (Simha). |
+0.7 |
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Uranus |
Remains in Aquarius (Kumbha). |
+6.0 |
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Neptune |
Remains in Aquaris (Kumbha). |
+8.0 |
Source : : Director
Positional Astronomy Centre
India Meteorological Department
New Alipore, Kolkata - 700 053.