Breakdown: Why May is a good month to check out the nights sky

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) -This month catch the conjunction of Mars and Neptune on the night of May 17th. You will need binoculars or a telescope to view. The two will appear close together in the sky.

May 18th, the red planet, Mars, will be moving just 0.5 degrees south of Neptune, which will be a good chance to see the most distant planet. You will need binoculars or a telescope, Neptune will appear as a tiny bluish “star” and it won’t be a as bright as Mars.

May 21 Conjunction of the Moon & Saturn as the Moon and Saturn have a close visual approach on the night of May 21st to 22nd (the actual closest approach is just after midnight on the 22nd). The pair will be within 5° of one another. The Waning Gibbous Moon will be a beautiful sight as well as the beautiful rings of Saturn. On May 22nd, during the wee hours of the morning, you’ll see Saturn shining like a bright yellow-white “star”.

May 24 Conjunction of the Moon, Mars & Jupiter, this will take place during the daylight hours for most viewers and will still appear near each other by the time the sunsets.

On the 25th, the moon will sit about 5 degrees to the lower left of Jupiter, and Jupiter in turn will be to the left or east of Mars.

On the 27th, the crescent moon will be to the lower left of Venus.

May 28th Mars and Jupiter will have their own close approach after sunset on the 28th. You can see them both without a telescope but a telescope or binoculars will get you a better and close up view of the two planets.

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