Read our May sky notes to find out what’s in the night sky this month!
Map
Summary
- The Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks around 5–6 May
- Dwarf planet Haumea has a rare stellar occultation on 4 May (blocking light from a distant star). Important as it definitely tests its status as a dwarf planet by measuring its shape and density with high precision.
- Leo and Virgo visible in the evening, with Leo’s Sickle and Virgo’s Spica leading to galaxy-rich regions like the Sombrero Galaxy.
- Boötes rises in the east with bright Arcturus, and Ursa Major high overhead pointing toward Polaris.
- Pre-dawn skies showcase Venus, Saturn, and a faint Uranus and Neptune.
Constellations
The following constellations are well placed in the evening this month, but many more can be seen. Check the star map above for more.
Leo, the Lion, appears in the south at sunset, a little south east of the zenith. It lowers as the night goes on toward the west, where it sets before sunrise. At the beginning of the month, Leo reaches its highest point earlier but spends longer in the sky overall; by the end of the month, it appears higher and more southernly in the early evening. Look for the Sickle asterism forming a backwards question mark, with Regulus at the base.
Virgo, the Maiden, rises in the east during early evening and moves across the southern sky. It is the second largest constellation and is rich in galaxies. The bright star Spica, a spectroscopic binary, marks the constellation’s brightest point. Virgo reaches its highest point around midnight and is visible most of the night.
Boötes, the Herdsman, rises in the east at sunset and moves across the southern sky to disappear in the west around sunrise. Look for the bright red giant Arcturus. At the beginning of the month, Boötes begins the night low in the north east; by the end of the month, it appears more due east.
Ursa Major, the Great Bear, sits high overhead during May evenings. Its famous Big Dipper (Plough) asterism is useful for locating other constellations, including Polaris. The Pointer Stars Dubhe and Merak point nearly directly toward the North Star.
Libra, the Scales, rises in the southeast during the evening and moves across the southern sky overnight. Its quadrilateral shape is faint but noticeable in darker skies.
Corvus, the Crow, is low in the southern sky. It is small but distinctive, forming a four-star quadrilateral. Best seen early in the evening before it sets.
Planets
Mercury is too close to the Sun to be seen from Woking this month.
Venus rises before sunrise in the east and shines very brightly as the “Morning Star.” It is easily visible throughout May, best before 05:00 BST.
Mars is visible in the western sky just after sunset, low on the horizon, and sets fairly early.
Jupiter is not visible this month as it is too close to the Sun.
Saturn rises in the southeast in the early morning, around 03:30 BST at the start of May, moving earlier as the month progresses. Rings are visible with a small telescope.
Uranus rises around 02:30 BST and is faint, requiring binoculars or a telescope.
Neptune rises around 03:00 BST and appears as a faint bluish point; a telescope is needed to see it.
Moon
The recent Artemis ii orbit of the moon, has provided a wealth of high resolution images, available from the NASA website. This is the 930km wide crater in the Orientale Basin. Its ringed structure a result of an impact over 3.8 billion years ago. The lack of atmosphere, erosive weather, manmade and vegetative interaction, means it remains almost as fresh as the day it happened.
Image: NASA
- New Moon: 5th May
- First Quarter: 13th May
- Full Moon: 19th May (“Flower Moon”)
- Last Quarter: 27th May
- Perigee (closest to Earth): 19th May
- Apogee (furthest from Earth): 7th May
- Perihelion (closest to Sun): 14th May
Notable lunar conjunctions:
- 2–3 May: Moon near Mars in the west after sunset
- 14 May: Moon near Saturn in the southeast before sunrise
- 26–27 May: Moon near Venus in the east before sunrise
Earthshine is best visible on the thin crescent Moon around 6–7 May and 26–27 May in the early evening, and on 18 May before sunrise.
Points of Interest
Meteor Showers
Eta Aquariids (19 Apr – 28 May). Moonlight in early May may reduce visibility. It is the debris from Halley’s comet. Peaks around 5–6th May. Radiant in Aquarius; meteors visible all night but best pre-dawn. Expect up to ~10–30 meteors per hour from the Northern Hemisphere
Sombrero Galaxy (M104) – Virgo: Visible 23:02–02:59 BST, reaching highest point around 01:00 BST. Large telescope recommended.
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) – Canes Venatici: Visible all night from 15th May, highest around midnight. 4-inch telescope recommended.
Messier 94 – Canes Venatici: Visible all night from 15th May, highest around midnight. 4-inch telescope recommended.
Messier 3 – Canes Venatici: Visible all night from 18th May, highest around midnight. Binoculars recommended.
Haumea (136108) – 4-inch telescope recommended. Constellation Boötes is at opposition on 23rd May, where Haumea is visible all night; reaching its highest point around midnight. A rare stellar occultation on 4 May (blocking light from a distant star). Important as it definitively tests its status as a dwarf planet, by measuring its shape and density with high precision. It has a fast rotation, elongated shape; very faint, so dark skies are essential.
Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) – Ursa Major: Visible all night from 24th May, highest around midnight. 4-inch telescope recommended
Makemake Found in the Constellation Coma Berenices, it already passed opposition (earlier in the year), but is still visible early in May. It rises in late evening, reaching the highest point around 01:51 BST. It is brightest in its class after Pluto and Eris, but very faint to naked eye and requires at least a 4-inch telescope.
Visit Spot the Station to find out when the ISS will be visible from your location.
Last updated: 16th April 2026.