The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — May 2131
Highlights this month
- 3ThuSaturn at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Libra (mag −0.0). (7:26pm)
- 6SunEta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 50/hr). A bright 70% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 11FriThe Moon passes Saturn — 2° apart. (11:37pm)
- 11FriUranus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (11:48pm)
- 15TueNeptune at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Libra (mag 7.8). (3:29am)
- 20SunMercury in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (2:57am)
- 21MonThe Moon passes Mars — 2° apart. (10:29am)
- 30WedJupiter in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (10:13am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 | 7:01am | 5:33pm | 10h 32m | 7:02pm | 5:31am |
| Thu 10 | 7:09am | 5:23pm | 10h 14m | 6:54pm | 5:38am |
| Sun 20 | 7:18am | 5:15pm | 9h 57m | 6:47pm | 5:46am |
| Thu 31 | 7:26am | 5:09pm | 9h 42m | 6:42pm | 5:53am |
Days shorten by about 50 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- First QuarterFri 4, 3:06pm
- Full MoonSat 12, 6:07pm
- Last QuarterSun 20, 12:18pm
- New MoonSun 27, 2:25am
Apogee 10 May (406,200 km) · Perigee 25 May (359,400 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Ari | −1.7 | 6:45am | 11:54am | 5:03pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Ari | −3.7 | 5:50am | 11:12am | 4:34pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Aqr | 0.4 | 12:53am | 7:29am | 2:06pm | Morning |
| Jupiter | Tau | −1.8 | 8:08am | 1:02pm | 5:56pm | Hidden |
| Saturn | Lib | 0.0 | 4:45pm | 11:29pm | 6:16am | Evening |
| Uranus | Leo | 5.5 | 1:45pm | 7:11pm | 12:42am | Evening |
| Neptune | Lib | 7.8 | 5:17pm | 12:19am | 7:16am | All night |
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 2131
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 13 September 2026.