May 2025

Send us Fan Mail Social Media Links Full text available at the Cosmos Safari Blog Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and the Eta Aquarid Meteor shower shine during May 2025. I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare. We’ll start by talking about this month’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me. EVENTS 5th – ETA AQUARID METEOR SHOWER Naked-eye PLANETS Sunset Jupiter - About 30˚ up the sky in the W after sunset, above Taurus’ head, in between its horns, setting around 11pm. Later in the month, Jupiter is lower in the sky and sets around sunset. Mars - Almost straight above us after sunset, but toward the SW, between Gemini and Leo (in Cancer), setting by 2am. Throughout the month, Mars will move away from Cancer and toward Leo, a little lower in the sky, setting around 1am. Morning Venus, Saturn – A GREAT little challenge for the month! In the beginning of May, get out up to an hour before sunrise, and look over a clear horizon to the East. The easiest one to find will be Venus, hovering 10-15˚ above the horizon, and very bright. It’ll be the last “star” to fade from view. Saturn will be just 4˚ down and to the left of Venus. Throughout the month, you’ll have to get out earlier and earlier since the Sun will rise earlier and earlier each day. Venus will slowly get a little higher each day. Saturn will also get higher, in fact higher than Venus, and further to the right, but will remain dimmer. LUNAR CYCLE Evening Crescents (look West after Sunset) First Quarter Moon – 4th Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset) Full Moon – 12th Waning Gibbous Last Quarter Moon – 20th Morning Crescents (look East in the AM) New Moon – 26th LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS 3rd - Find the Waxing Crescent Moon just 1.5˚ above Mars and the M44 star cluster, which can be seen with binoculars, setting around 2:30am. 21st - 25th - Get out before between 4:30am and sunrise and look East over a fairly clear horizon. Venus and Saturn will be hanging out directly East, less than 15˚ above the horizon. The Moon will be a nice crescent on the 21st, off in the SE, 15˚ to the right of Saturn, which is 15˚ to the right of bright Venus. On the 22nd, the Moon will be just 4˚ to the right of Saturn. On the 23rd, the Moon will move between the two planets, a little closer to Venus on the left than Saturn on the right. On the 24th, a VERY thin crescent Moon is just as high off the horizon as Venus is just 7˚ to the right. Lastly, on the 25th, find Venus, and the Moon will be as far to the left of Venus as Saturn is to the right of Venus. 28th - Coming back around again, the VERY thin crescent Moon is just 7˚ above Jupiter, setting around 11pm. 31st - A second May encounter for Mars, being 5˚ up and to the left of the Moon. And that’s the sky for this month! If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram. Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission.