The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — May 1996
Highlights this month
- 4SatMercury is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (7:51pm)
- 5SunJupiter is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (1:40am)
- 6MonEta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 50/hr). A bright 90% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 9ThuUranus is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (5:53am)
- 13MonThe Moon passes Saturn — 3° apart. (8:41pm)
- 15WedMercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (11:06am)
- 20MonVenus is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (4:26pm)
- 27MonMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (5:13pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 | 7:01am | 5:32pm | 10h 30m | 7:01pm | 5:32am |
| Fri 10 | 7:10am | 5:22pm | 10h 13m | 6:53pm | 5:39am |
| Mon 20 | 7:18am | 5:14pm | 9h 56m | 6:46pm | 5:46am |
| Fri 31 | 7:27am | 5:08pm | 9h 42m | 6:42pm | 5:53am |
Days shorten by about 49 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Full MoonFri 3, 9:51pm
- Last QuarterFri 10, 3:08pm
- New MoonFri 17, 9:49pm
- First QuarterSun 26, 12:10am
Perigee 7 May (367,000 km) · Apogee 23 May (405,300 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Tau | 8.6 | 7:15am | 12:17pm | 5:18pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Tau | −4.5 | 10:11am | 2:37pm | 7:04pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Ari | 1.3 | 5:58am | 11:15am | 4:32pm | Hidden |
| Jupiter | Sgr | −2.3 | 8:43pm | 4:05am | 11:22am | Morning |
| Saturn | Psc | 0.9 | 3:03am | 9:06am | 3:09pm | Morning |
| Uranus | Cap | 5.8 | 10:05pm | 5:17am | 12:24pm | Morning |
| Neptune | Sgr | 7.9 | 9:34pm | 4:47am | 11:57am | 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 bright 90% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — May 1996
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.
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Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 17 August 2026.