The Night Sky - May 2020

As the Sun climbs to a more northerly declination on the ecliptic the days rapidly lengthen and by mid month observers have to wait until almost midnight for full darkness. The midnight skies host the Summer Triangle stars, Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus and Altair in Aquila. To the west of Vega is kneeling 'stick figure' of Hercules, the torso being marked out by a quadrilateral of 3rd magnitude stars known as the 'Keystone'.

High Lights of the Month

• 3rd (late evening): A Lunar Occultation - the Moon will occult the 4th magnitude star Nu Virginis
• 12th (before dawn): The Moon joins Jupiter and Saturn
• 21st (after sunset): Mercury lies just below Venus
• 23rd-25th: Comet PanSTARRS close to M81 and M82 high in the Northwest

Comet PanSTARRS

If clear in the evening on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of the month, looking high in the Northwest using binoculars or a small telescope you may be able to spot comet PanSTARRS (C/2017 T2) as it passes the galaxies M81 and M82 in Ursa Major.

Information collated from Jodrell Bank and Astronomy Now magazine