SkyEye

The Calendar

The Solar System

The word planet is derived from the Greek word for 'wanderer'. Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars. Dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies, including comets, are not so constrained, often moving far above or below the ecliptic.

Sun Aries → Taurus

Mercury Pisces → Cetus → Aries

The closest planet to the Sun is particularly well-placed for observing in the morning sky from the southern hemisphere. It reaches greatest elongation west on 17 May.

Venus Pisces

The morning star climbs high above the eastern horizon for southern hemisphere observers and becomes easier to see for those in the north as well.

Mars Taurus

Mars is setting ever earlier as it heads towards solar conjunction this summer. Compare its colour to that of the bright star Aldebaran when the red planet passes close by on 7 May.

Jupiter Virgo

Since it doesn't set until after midnight, the largest of the planets is easy to observe during the evening hours.

Saturn Sagittarius → Ophiuchus

Now rising well before midnight, the ringed planet is more convenient to observe during the evening.

Uranus Pisces

This faint ice giant may still be too close to the Sun to be seen in the morning sky this month.

Neptune Aquarius

A small telescope is necessary to view the most distant planet in the solar system. Neptune rises in the early morning hours and is occulted by the Moon on 20 May.