The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — May 1984
Highlights this month
- 3ThuSaturn at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Libra (mag −0.0). (5:45pm)
- 4FriMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (10:44pm)
- 6SunEta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 50/hr). A 26% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
- 11FriMars at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Libra (mag −1.9). (6:28pm)
- 14MonThe Moon passes Saturn — 0.4° apart. (5:41pm)
- 15TueThe Moon passes Mars — 2° apart. (6:19am)
- 19SatThe Moon passes Jupiter — 3° apart. (3:10am)
- 20SunMercury at greatest morning elongation (26° from the Sun, mag 0.5) — best morning apparition. (6:12am)
- 29TueThe Moon passes Mercury — 0.9° apart. (3:21am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 | 7:01am | 5:32pm | 10h 31m | 7:02pm | 5:32am |
| Thu 10 | 7:09am | 5:23pm | 10h 13m | 6:53pm | 5:39am |
| Sun 20 | 7:18am | 5:14pm | 9h 56m | 6:46pm | 5:46am |
| Thu 31 | 7:26am | 5:08pm | 9h 42m | 6:42pm | 5:53am |
Days shorten by about 49 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- New MoonTue 1, 1:47pm
- First QuarterTue 8, 9:54pm
- Full MoonTue 15, 2:29pm
- Last QuarterWed 23, 3:48am
- New MoonThu 31, 2:51am
Perigee 12 May (365,500 km) · Apogee 24 May (404,900 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Ari | 0.8 | 5:07am | 10:43am | 4:19pm | Morning |
| Venus | Ari | −3.7 | 6:30am | 11:42am | 4:55pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Lib | −1.9 | 4:52pm | 11:58pm | 6:59am | All night |
| Jupiter | Sgr | −2.3 | 8:21pm | 3:44am | 11:03am | Morning |
| Saturn | Lib | 0.0 | 4:44pm | 11:28pm | 6:16am | Evening |
| Uranus | Oph | 5.5 | 6:12pm | 1:33am | 8:50am | Morning |
| Neptune | Sgr | 7.8 | 7:32pm | 2:54am | 10:11am | Morning |
Meteor showers
- Eta Aquariids — peaks 6 May, radiant in Aquarius (up to 50/hr). Debris of Halley's Comet and one of the best showers of the year from the south — swift meteors in the pre-dawn eastern sky. A 26% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
The solar system — May 1984
Evening sky Morning sky Up much of the night Lost in the Sun’s glare
Open the full interactive orrery ↗ — fast-forward, pick any date, toggle the Moon and more.
Looking for an earlier month? Browse all past monthly guides →
Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 22 August 2026.