The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — May 2188
Highlights this month
- 3SatMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (9:42pm)
- 6TueVenus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (12:06am)
- 6TueEta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 50/hr). A bright 71% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 9FriThe Moon passes Saturn — 3° apart. (4:02am)
- 19MonMercury at greatest morning elongation (26° from the Sun, mag 0.4) — best morning apparition. (6:50am)
- 21WedThe Moon passes Jupiter — 4° apart. (6:51am)
- 23FriThe Moon passes Venus — 4° apart. (5:44am)
- 24SatThe Moon passes Mercury — 2° apart. (6:48am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 | 7:02am | 5:32pm | 10h 29m | 7:01pm | 5:32am |
| Sat 10 | 7:10am | 5:22pm | 10h 12m | 6:53pm | 5:39am |
| Tue 20 | 7:19am | 5:14pm | 9h 55m | 6:46pm | 5:46am |
| Sat 31 | 7:27am | 5:08pm | 9h 41m | 6:42pm | 5:53am |
Days shorten by about 48 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- First QuarterSun 4, 7:05pm
- Full MoonSun 11, 9:17am
- Last QuarterSun 18, 2:59pm
- New MoonMon 26, 6:00pm
Perigee 9 May (360,700 km) · Apogee 21 May (405,400 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Ari | 0.7 | 5:05am | 10:41am | 4:17pm | Morning |
| Venus | Psc | −4.6 | 4:25am | 10:00am | 3:35pm | Morning |
| Mars | Tau | 1.4 | 7:39am | 12:34pm | 5:30pm | Hidden |
| Jupiter | Psc | −1.9 | 2:45am | 8:49am | 2:54pm | Morning |
| Saturn | Vir | 0.4 | 3:38pm | 9:55pm | 4:15am | Evening |
| Uranus | Ari | 5.9 | 6:00am | 11:16am | 4:32pm | Hidden |
| Neptune | Psc | 7.9 | 2:42am | 8:47am | 2:53pm | 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 71% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — May 2188
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 16 October 2026.