Sky Chart For The Month of May, 2011

ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR MAY, 2011

The Moon

New Moon occurs on 3rd at h. 12-21 I.S.T.	First Quarter occurs on 11th at h. 02-03 I.S.T.
Full Moon occurs on 17th at h. 16-39 I.S.T.	Last Quarter occurs on 25th at h. 00-22 I.S.T.
The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 4th.
The Moon is at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 15^th and at Apogee or farthest from the Earth on 27th.

The Moon passes about 7º north of Venus in the early morning of 1^st, about 8º north of Mercury on 1^st, about 6º north of Jupiter on 2^nd, 5½º north of Mars on 2^nd, about about 8º south of Saturn in the evening of about 14^th, about 6º north of Neptune on 24^th, about 6½º north of Uranus on 27^th, about 5½º north of Jupiter on 29^th, about 4º north of Mars, about 4½º north of Venus and about 3½º north of Mercury on 31^st.

The Planets

The Visibility of Planets :

Mercury: The planet can be seen low in the eastern sky before sunrise and remains visible till the beginning of the morning twilight. It rises about 1 hour before sunrise throughout the month. The planet is in Greatest Western Elongation of about 27º from the Sun on 8^th.

Venus:The planet is a brilliant object in the eastern sky rises before sunrise and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight. It rises about 1½ hours before sunrise throughout the month. .

Mars:The planet is too close to the sun to be visible upto 10^th of the month. Thereafter it reappears in the eastern sky before sunrise and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight. It rises about 1 hour to 1½ hours before sunrise for the remaining days of the month.

Jupiter:The planet rises before sunrise and remains visible till the beginning of the morning twilight throughout the month. It rises about 1 hour to 1½ hours before sunrise upto second quarter of the month and about 1½ hours to 2½ hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Saturn:The planet is visible in the evening and sets before sunrise throughout the month. It sets about 1 hour to 1½ hour before sunrise upto first quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it upto second quarter of the month, about 2 hours to 2½ hours before it upto third quarter of the month and about 2½ hours to 3 hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Uranus:The planet rises few hours after local midnight and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight throughout the month. It rises about 3 hours to 2 hours after it upto third quarter of the month and about 2 hours to 1½ hours after it for the remaining days of the month.

Neptune:The planet rises about 1½ hours to 1 hour after local midnight upto first quarter of the month, about 1 to ½ hour after it up to second quarter of the month, about ½ hour after local midnight to around local midnight time upto third quarter of the month. Thereafter it rises around local midnight to ½ hour before it for the remaining days of the month, being in Quadrature with the Sun on 22^nd.

Conjunction of Planets :

Mars passes about ½º north of Jupiter on 1^st.

Mercury passes about 2º south of Jupiter on 11^th.

Venus passes about ½º south of Jupiter on 11^th.

Mercury passes about 2½º south of Mars on 20^th.

Venus passes about 1º south of Mars on 22^nd.

Planets	Planets in Zodiacal Constellation	Magnitude
Mercury (Budha)	Moves from Pisces (Mina) to Aries (Mesha) on 11^th. and moves from Aries (Mesha) to Tauras ( Vrisha) on 31^st.	+0.6 to +0.1 and +0.1 to -0.7
Venus (Sukra)	Moves from Pisces (Mina) to Aries (Mesha) on 11^th.	-3.8
Mars (Mangala)	Moves from Pisces (Mina) to Aries (Mesha) on 3^rd.	+1.3
Jupiter (Brihaspati)	Moves from Pisces (Mina) to Aries (Mesha) on 8^th .	-2.1
Saturn (Sani)	Remains in Virgo (Kanya).	+0.7
Uranus	Remains in Pisces (Mina).	+6.0
Neptune	Remains in Aquaris (Kumbha).	+8.0

Source : : Director

Positional Astronomy Centre

India Meteorological Department

Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700 091.