What's Up for May? Watch Venus, Mars, and Jupiter cozy up to the Moon, and Saturn make cameo

The night sky is set to provide an array of celestial spectacles, making it the perfect time for skywatching enthusiasts. Jupiter and Saturn will be seen striking a pose with the Moon, creating a breathtaking sight in the dark sky while Venus will be at its peak in the evening sky. But that's not all! You will also witness a beautiful grouping of Venus, Mars, and the Moon this month.

On May 13th, early risers can spot Saturn and a third-quarter moon rising together in the southeast before sunrise. Then on May 17th, a slim crescent moon will rise an hour before the Sun, and from some parts of the U.S. and Canada, Jupiter will appear very close to the Moon.

From May 22nd to the 24th, the Moon, Venus, and Mars will form a close grouping in the western sky after sunset. The Moon will sit between the two neighbouring planets on the 23rd.

Venus, which has been rising higher each evening, will reach its highest point in the western sky and begin to trend lower in June. By late July, the planet will disappear from evening skies to reappear again about a month later as a morning object in the eastern sky.

For those observing from the Southern Hemisphere, the night sky looks different from the Northern. There is no counterpart to the North Star, and familiar seasonal star patterns appear flipped upside down in southern skies. However, the Southern Hemisphere offers dazzling constellations like Crux, Carina, Tucana, and Centaurus, as well as the opportunity to see the second and third brightest stars in the sky, Canopus and Alpha Centauri.

Lastly, Southern Hemisphere skywatchers can easily observe two entire galaxies with the naked eye, the Magellanic Clouds, which orbit our galaxy, the Milky Way.

What's Up in May? Venus reaches peak elevation, Jupiter briefly disappears, and see what's unique about Southern Hemisphere skies. https://t.co/JQ69n8kwJ6 pic.twitter.com/64NbBAhDKt

— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) May 1, 2023