The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — May 2017
Highlights this month
- 3WedMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (12:16am)
- 6SatEta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 50/hr). A bright 81% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 8MonThe Moon passes Jupiter — 2° apart. (8:51am)
- 14SunThe Moon passes Saturn — 3° apart. (9:05am)
- 18ThuMercury at greatest morning elongation (26° from the Sun, mag 0.5) — best morning apparition. (9:23am)
- 22MonThe Moon passes Venus — 2° apart. (11:54pm)
- 24WedThe Moon passes Mercury — 2° apart. (12:06pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 1 | 7:01am | 5:32pm | 10h 31m | 7:02pm | 5:32am |
| Wed 10 | 7:10am | 5:23pm | 10h 13m | 6:53pm | 5:39am |
| Sat 20 | 7:18am | 5:14pm | 9h 56m | 6:47pm | 5:46am |
| Wed 31 | 7:27am | 5:08pm | 9h 42m | 6:42pm | 5:53am |
Days shorten by about 49 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- First QuarterWed 3, 12:49pm
- Full MoonThu 11, 7:44am
- Last QuarterFri 19, 10:36am
- New MoonFri 26, 5:48am
Apogee 13 May (406,200 km) · Perigee 26 May (356,800 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Ari | 0.6 | 5:04am | 10:41am | 4:18pm | Morning |
| Venus | Psc | −4.5 | 3:35am | 9:27am | 3:19pm | Morning |
| Mars | Tau | 1.6 | 9:04am | 1:47pm | 6:30pm | Hidden |
| Jupiter | Vir | −2.1 | 3:26pm | 9:41pm | 4:00am | Evening |
| Saturn | Oph | 0.1 | 7:14pm | 2:35am | 9:51am | Morning |
| Uranus | Psc | 5.9 | 4:55am | 10:26am | 3:58pm | Morning |
| Neptune | Aqr | 7.9 | 1:26am | 7:51am | 2:15pm | 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 81% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — May 2017
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 15 July 2026.