While Venus and Jupiter dominate May’s early evening sky,
glorious Saturn remains visible all night as it reaches opposition and peak
visibility. At the top of this month’s list has to be Saturn, which puts on an
all-night show as it reaches opposition and peak visibility. Saturn you can see in the east. It may be well above the horizon by 10 p.m.. If you target Saturn through a telescope, you’ll see its
18"-diameter disk surrounded by a ring system that spans 42" and
tilts 25° to our line of sight. Close behind are
Venus and Jupiter, a pair of brilliant planets adorning the evening sky. You cannot miss this bright pair after dark toward the north western sky. Outstanding!
An honorable mention must go to innermost Mercury. The diminutive world produces
its finest evening display of 2015 early this month. The planetary action gets underway shortly after the Sun sets May 1. Scan the
area above the west-northwestern horizon about 45 minutes after sundown, and
you should spy Mercury. Be sure to have a near unobstructed view of the horizon. With your naked eye you will notice that orange coloured Mercury does not look like a Star. You will see! The diminutive world produces
its finest evening display of 2015 early this month.
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