The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — May 2044
Highlights this month
- 2MonNeptune in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (11:19am)
- 5ThuMercury at greatest morning elongation (27° from the Sun, mag 0.4) — best morning apparition. (8:32am)
- 6FriEta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 50/hr). A bright 70% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 6FriThe Moon passes Mars — 1° apart. (10:34pm)
- 6FriVenus is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (11:40pm)
- 17TueSaturn at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Libra (mag −0.1). (1:42pm)
- 18WedThe Moon passes Jupiter — 3° apart. (5:14pm)
- 25WedJupiter is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (5:07am)
- 28SatVenus in inferior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (4:46am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1 | 7:02am | 5:32pm | 10h 30m | 7:01pm | 5:32am |
| Tue 10 | 7:10am | 5:22pm | 10h 12m | 6:53pm | 5:39am |
| Fri 20 | 7:19am | 5:14pm | 9h 55m | 6:46pm | 5:46am |
| Tue 31 | 7:27am | 5:08pm | 9h 41m | 6:42pm | 5:53am |
Days shorten by about 49 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- First QuarterWed 4, 8:29pm
- Full MoonThu 12, 10:17am
- Last QuarterFri 20, 2:01pm
- New MoonFri 27, 1:43pm
Apogee 15 May (405,900 km) · Perigee 28 May (358,100 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Ari | −0.0 | 5:10am | 10:44am | 4:19pm | Morning |
| Venus | Tau | −4.1 | 9:03am | 1:34pm | 6:04pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Leo | 0.0 | 2:12pm | 7:51pm | 1:32am | Evening |
| Jupiter | Cap | −2.2 | 10:16pm | 5:24am | 12:29pm | Morning |
| Saturn | Lib | −0.1 | 5:27pm | 12:29am | 7:28am | All night |
| Uranus | Leo | 5.5 | 12:59pm | 6:09pm | 11:18pm | Evening |
| Neptune | Ari | 7.9 | 6:13am | 11:30am | 4:46pm | Hidden |
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 70% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — May 2044
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.