The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — May 2030
Highlights this month
- 6MonMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (5:23am)
- 6MonEta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 50/hr). A thin 12% Moon leaves the sky dark.
- 13MonJupiter at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Libra (mag −2.4). (9:28pm)
- 17FriThe Moon passes Jupiter — 3° apart. (2:58pm)
- 19SunSaturn in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (4:23pm)
- 21TueMercury at greatest morning elongation (26° from the Sun, mag 0.5) — best morning apparition. (12:18pm)
- 25SatMars in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (9:24pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 | 7:01am | 5:32pm | 10h 31m | 7:02pm | 5:32am |
| Fri 10 | 7:09am | 5:23pm | 10h 13m | 6:53pm | 5:39am |
| Mon 20 | 7:18am | 5:14pm | 9h 56m | 6:47pm | 5:46am |
| Fri 31 | 7:26am | 5:08pm | 9h 42m | 6:42pm | 5:53am |
Days shorten by about 49 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- New MoonFri 3, 12:12am
- First QuarterSat 11, 3:18am
- Full Moon SupermoonFri 17, 9:22pm
- Last QuarterFri 24, 2:56pm
Apogee 4 May (406,200 km) · Perigee 17 May (356,700 km) · Apogee 31 May (406,200 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Ari | 0.9 | 5:09am | 10:45am | 4:20pm | Morning |
| Venus | Psc | −3.9 | 3:55am | 9:45am | 3:35pm | Morning |
| Mars | Tau | 1.4 | 7:29am | 12:27pm | 5:24pm | Hidden |
| Jupiter | Lib | −2.4 | 5:10pm | 12:12am | 7:11am | All night |
| Saturn | Tau | −0.0 | 7:29am | 12:32pm | 5:36pm | Hidden |
| Uranus | Tau | 5.8 | 9:08am | 1:52pm | 6:37pm | Hidden |
| Neptune | Psc | 7.9 | 3:46am | 9:37am | 3:27pm | 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 thin 12% Moon leaves the sky dark.
The solar system — May 2030
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 15 July 2026.