Night sky, May 2025: What you can see tonight [maps]

The night sky tonight and on any clear night offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects you can see, from stars and constellations to bright planets, the moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers.

Observing the night sky can be done with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful, and a good telescope or binoculars will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view.

You can also use astronomy accessories to make your observing easier, and use our Satellite Tracker page powered by N2YO.com to find out when and how to see the International Space Station and other satellites. We also have a helpful guide on how you can see and track a Starlink satellite train.

You can also capture the night sky by using any of the best cameras for astrophotography, along with a selection of the best lenses for astrophotography.

Read on to find out what's up in the night sky tonight (planets visible now, moon phases, observing highlights this month) plus other resources (skywatching terms, night sky observing tips and further reading)

Related: The brightest planets in the night sky: How to see them (and when)

Monthly skywatching information is provided to Space.com by Chris Vaughan of Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu and Chris at @Astrogeoguy

Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo and would like to share them with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Calendar of observing highlights

Thursday, May 1 - Minor planet Vesta at opposition (all night)

From time to time, the largest asteroids in our solar system become bright enough to be seen without special equipment by skywatchers. On Thursday, May 1, Earth's orbital motion will carry us between the minor planet Vesta and the sun. On the nights around that date, Vesta will be visible all night long and shine at its peak brightness for the year of magnitude 5.4, which is well within reach of binoculars (orange circle) and small telescopes. Tonight, look for the asteroid as a medium bright speck located about two finger widths to the left (or 2.5 degrees to the celestial northeast) of the star Mu Virginis, which marks the lower toes of Virgo, the Maiden. Vesta's trajectory over the rest of May will carry it retrograde westward between Virgo's feet (red dotted line).

Friday, May 2 - Neptune lurks near Venus and Saturn (pre-dawn)

In the early days of May, the brilliant planet Venus will be gleaming in the pre-dawn eastern sky near two other planets. Medium-bright Saturn will be readily visible a few finger widths to the Venus' lower right (or celestial south), while far fainter Neptune will be located below Venus and a few finger widths to Saturn's left. All three planets will be close enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Observers located at southerly latitudes, where the planets will shine higher and in a darker sky, will have the best chance to see Neptune, but you will need a quality telescope to see its blue speck. On every morning after Friday, May 2, Venus' easterly orbital motion will carry it farther to the left of Saturn and Neptune.

Saturday, May 3 - Half-moon over Mars and the Beehive (evening)

In the western sky after dusk on Saturday, May 3, the reddish dot of Mars will be positioned just below the nearly half-illuminated moon. Binoculars (orange circle) will also reveal the scattered stars of the large open star cluster named the Beehive to Mars' left (or celestial SSE). Other names for the cluster include Praesepe, the Manger, Messier 44 and NGC 2632. Tonight, skywatchers located in eastern Canada and the continental USA can watch the dark leading edge of the moon pass over Cancer's medium-bright star Asellus Borealis, "the Northern Donkey," shortly after 10 p.m. Eastern Time or 9 p.m. Central Time. Binoculars or a backyard telescope will help.

Sunday, May 4 - First Quarter Moon

When the moon completes the first quarter of its orbit around Earth at 11:52 a.m. EDT, 8:52 a.m. PDT, or 13:52 GMT on Sunday, May 4, the 90-degree angle formed by the Earth, sun, and moon will cause us to see our natural satellite half-illuminated on its eastern, sunward side. While at first quarter, the moon always rises around noon and sets around midnight in your local time zone, allowing us to see it in the afternoon daytime sky, too. The evenings surrounding the first quarter phase are the best ones for viewing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight.

Sunday, May 4 - Mars buzzes the Beehive (evening)

During the first week of May, the eastward orbital motion of the planet Mars will carry it through the northern edge of the large, bright open star cluster in Cancer known as the Beehive and Messier 44. After dusk, you can locate the medium-bright, reddish dot of Mars shining about halfway up the western sky. Binoculars (orange circle) or a backyard telescope (green circle) will reveal "the Bees" sprinkled just to Mars' lower left (or celestial south). Mars will approach the cluster from the right (celestial west) until Monday, May 5, when it will graze the outer part of the cluster. Every night after Monday, the cluster will move a little farther below Mars. The Beehive's position close to the ecliptic allows it to be frequently visited by the moon and planets.

Monday, May 5 - Moon near the Lion's heart (all night)

As the sky is darkening on Monday evening, May 5, Leo's brightest star Regulus will appear just to the right of the waxing gibbous moon. That hot, white, B-class star, which is located only 79 light-years from our sun, marks the heart of Leo, the Lion. For skywatchers viewing the duo later at night, or in more westerly time zones, the moon's easterly orbital motion will carry it farther from the star.

Monday, May 5 - Eta-Aquariids Meteor Shower Peak (overnight)

The annual Eta-Aquariids Meteor Shower is produced when Earth's orbit carries us through a cloud of particles left behind by repeated trips of Halley's Comet along its own orbit around the sun. The shower, which runs from April 19 to May 28, will peak in intensity from Monday evening to Tuesday morning, May 6 in the Americas. A relatively bright moon will hide the fainter meteors until it sets around 3 a.m. local time on Tuesday morning. While some meteors should be visible on Monday evening, more should appear once the shower's radiant point in Aquarius rises above the southeastern horizon around 3 a.m. local time on Monday. A few dozen meteors per hour are typical during the peak, including some fireball meteors. Its southerly radiant makes the Eta-Aquariids shower better for observers located closer to the tropics.

Friday, May 9 - Bright moon approaches Spica

When the sky darkens on Friday evening, May 9, in the Americas, Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, will appear a short distance to the moon's lower left — close enough for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). As the pair crosses the sky during the night, the moon's orbital motion will carry it closer to the star and the rotation of the sky will shift Spica above the moon. Hours later, observers located within a zone extending southeast across the South Pacific from Micronesia, Melanesia, and southwest Polynesia almost to South America can see the moon occult Spica around 06:30 GMT.

Monday, May 12 - Full Milk Moon

The moon will reach its full phase on Monday, May 12 at 12:56 p.m. EDT, 9:56 a.m. PDT, or 16:56 GMT. In the Americas, the moon will appear to be full on both Sunday and Monday night, but closer inspection will reveal a strip of shadow curving along the moon's left and right limb, respectively, on those nights. Full moons in May always shine in or near the stars of Libra or Scorpius. The indigenous Ojibwe groups of the Great Lakes region call the May full moon Zaagibagaa-giizis, the "Budding Moon" or Namebine-giizis, the "Sucker Moon". For them it signifies a time when Mother Earth again provides healing medicines. The Cree of North America call it Athikipisim, the "Frog Moon" — the time when frogs become active in ponds and swamps. The Cherokee call it Ahnisguti, the "Planting Moon", when the fields are plowed and sown. Other common names are the Milk Moon, Flower Moon, or Corn Planting Moon.

Tuesday, May 13 - Bright moon covers Antares

When the still very full moon rises over the southeastern horizon in mid-evening on Tuesday, May 13, it will be positioned very close to the very bright, reddish star Antares, which marks the heart of Scorpius. As the duo crosses the sky all night long, the rotation of the sky will shift the moon to Antares' lower left. Meanwhile, observers in a zone extending from easternmost Polynesia, east across southern South America and the tip of Antarctic Peninsula and over to the South Atlantic can watch the moon cross in front of (or occult) Antares. Lunar occultations are safe to watch with eyes, binoculars, and telescopes. Use an app like Starry Night or Sky Safari to look up the timings where you live.

Friday, May 16 — Berenice's Hair (all night)

The constellation of Coma Berenices, or Berenice's Hair, is composed of three medium-bright stars arranged as a right-angle triangle. In the evenings during mid-May, those stars are located high in the southern sky, several fist diameters to the lower left of the Big Dipper and two fist diameters above (or 18 degrees to the celestial northeast of) Leo's bright tail star Denebola. Beta Comae Berenices, the highest of the three stars, is slightly brighter than the other two stars. Diadem shines to its lower left. The star Gamma Comae Berenices (or γ Com or Al Dafirah) to Beta's lower right is close to the limit of visibility in light-polluted skies, but is easy to see in rural locations. The Coma Star Cluster is a collection of 4th and 5th-magnitude stars sprinkled just below (to the celestial southwest of) Gamma. The cluster, which covers a palm's width (7 degrees) of sky, is approximately 290 light-years distant. It is best viewed using binoculars. Meant to represent the hair of Berenice, other names for the cluster are Ariadne's Hair, Thisbe's Veil, the Cobweb Cluster, the Flying Witch, Black Bart's Hair, and Melotte 111. In antiquity, those stars represented the tuft at the end of Leo's tail.

Saturday, May 17 - Catch the colors of stars (all night)

Stars shine with a color that is controlled by their surface (or photospheric) temperature, and this is captured in their spectral classification. In mid-May every year, the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle asterism are climbing the eastern sky after dusk. Deneb, Vega, and Altair are A-class stars that appear blue-white to the eye and have temperatures in the range of 7,500 to 10,000 Kelvin. Arcturus, which dominates the southern sky in the evening, is an orange, K-class giant star with a temperature of only 4,300 K. Chara, the fainter of Canes Venatici's two stars, is a yellowish, G-class star with a temperature of 5,900 K, similar to our sun's. Reddish Antares, the heart of Scorpius, which twinkles above the southern horizon, is an old M-class star with a low surface temperature of 3,500 K. You can estimate the temperatures of other stars by comparing their color to these bright reference stars.

Tuesday, May 20 - Third Quarter Moon

The moon will reach its third quarter phase on Tuesday, May 20 at 7:59 a.m. EDT, 4:59 a.m. PDT, and 1159 GMT. Third quarter moons always rise around midnight in your local time zone and then linger in the southern sky after sunrise. At third, or last, quarter, the moon's western half is illuminated by the pre-dawn sun and the pole-to-pole terminator line becomes a straight line. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase will be ideal for observing deep sky targets in binoculars and telescopes, especially spring galaxies.

Thursday, May 22 - Crescent moon with Saturn and Neptune (pre-dawn)

On Thursday morning, May 22, the pretty, waning crescent moon will begin its monthly cruise past the planets gathered above the eastern horizon. The moon will rise in the east during the wee hours of the morning. About 20 minutes later, the prominent, yellowish dot of Saturn will become visible several finger widths to the moon's lower left (to its celestial east). The duo will share the view in binoculars (orange circle) while the morning sky brightens ahead of sunrise. The tiny blue speck of the distant planet Neptune will be positioned a generous thumb's width to Saturn's left (or 2 degrees to the celestial northeast), but it will be a challenge to see from mid-northern latitudes, where the slope of the ecliptic will keep the planets lower in the hazy sky. Early-rising skywatchers at southern latitudes, where the planets will be higher in a darker sky, will have a better view of the conjunction.

Friday, May 23 - Old Moon joins Venus and Saturn (pre-dawn)

After another 24 hours of easterly orbital motion, the old crescent moon will shine between Saturn and much brighter Venus on Friday morning, May 23. Their assemblage above the eastern horizon will offer a nice photo opportunity when composed with some interesting foreground scenery. Venus, the last of the trio to rise, will clear the horizon by about 4 a.m. local time. It will continue to gleam on the moon's lower left until almost sunrise, but Saturn will fade from sight before then. If Friday brings clouds, don't worry. On Saturday morning, the moon's sliver of a crescent will be positioned to the left of Venus with Saturn off to their upper right.

Monday, May 26 - The New Moon

The moon will officially reach its new moon phase on Monday, May 26 at 11:02 p.m. EDT or 8:02 p.m. PDT, which converts to Tuesday, May 27 at 03:02 GMT. While new, our natural satellite will be located in Taurus, and 4 degrees north of the sun. While at its new phase, the moon is travelling between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only shine on the far side of the moon, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun, it becomes completely hidden from view from anywhere on Earth for about a day. After the new moon phase, Earth's natural satellite will return to shine as a very thin crescent in the western evening sky.

Tuesday, May 27 - Young moon joins Jupiter (after sunset)

If your view of the northwestern horizon is unobstructed and free of clouds after sunset on Tuesday, May 27, watch for the slim crescent of the young moon positioned less than a fist's diameter to the lower right (or celestial northwest) of the bright planet Jupiter. The moon will set about an hour after the sun. Once the sun has fully disappeared from view, you can safely use binoculars (orange circle) to search the sky to Jupiter's lower right. On the following evening, the slightly fuller moon will climb to shine above Jupiter, making a lovely photo opportunity.

Friday, May 30 - Mare Crisium (evening)

On Friday evening, May 30, the dark oval of Mare Crisium will be framed inside the appealing crescent of the young moon. This 345-mile (556 km) diameter basin is easy to see using your unaided eyes, binoculars, and any telescope. It is located near the eastern edge of the moon, just north of the moon's equator (the up-down red curve). The wobble of the moon, known as lunar libration, shifts Mare Crisium higher and lower, and closer and farther from the moon's edge at various times.

Saturday, May 31 - Crescent moon approaches Mars (evening)

In the western sky after dusk on Saturday, May 31, the reddish dot of Mars will shine to the upper left (or celestial southeast) of the waxing crescent moon in their second meeting this month. The pair will be cozy enough to share the field of view of binoculars (orange circle). While they descend the western sky until midnight, the moon's eastward orbital motion will shift it ever closer to the red planet.

Visible planets

Mercury

For observers at mid-northern latitudes, Mercury will be positioned just above the eastern horizon before sunrise until mid-May. Its position below the slanted ecliptic will make this a very poor apparition for northern observers, but its finest morning appearance for the year from the Southern Hemisphere, where it will be visible with increasing difficulty until very late in the month while it swings sunward. Visually, Mercury will brighten from magnitude 0.0 to -2.4 in May. In a telescope, the planet will wax from 60%-illuminated towards fully illuminated, and its disk size will decrease until it reaches superior conjunction on May 30.

Venus

During May, Venus will continue to dominate the eastern pre-dawn sky. Fresh from its greatest illuminated extent on April 27, the brilliant planet will fade a little from magnitude -4.73 to -4.45 over the month. Its position near the slanted morning ecliptic will keep the planet relatively low and in a twilight sky for those at mid-northern latitudes, where it will rise at around 3:45 a.m. local time. Meanwhile, observers at tropical and southerly latitudes will see it shining in a dark sky while it races eastward through the stars of Pisces, especially when it reaches its greatest elongation 46 degrees west of the sun in the final hour of May. Telescope views will show Venus waxing from a 29%-illuminated crescent on May 1 to half-illuminated at month's end. Over the same period, its apparent disk size will shrink from 36.3 to 24.0 arc-seconds due to its increasing distance from Earth. Venus will begin the month shining 3 degrees north of Neptune and Saturn, but those planets will be carried well west of Venus by month's end. The old crescent moon will make a picturesque sight to the west and east of Venus, respectively, on May 23-24.

Mars

Mars will continue to be well-positioned for observing in the western sky between dusk and midnight during May, though its steadily increasing distance from Earth will reduce its brightness from magnitude 0.96 to 1.29 and shrink its 90%-illuminated disk size from 6.5 arc-seconds to 5.5 arc-seconds. Mars will begin May by cruising through the northern edge of the prominent Beehive Star Cluster (aka Messier 44) in Cancer. It will be closest to the cluster on May 4, but the nearly half-illuminated moon will join their party on May 3 in a nice binoculars tableau. Mars will enter Leo on May 25. As it travels eastward, imagers and telescope owners will have opportunities to capture the planet passing very close to galaxy groupings on May 9, 17, and 22.

Jupiter

As it is carried lower in the western evening sky with the surrounding stars of eastern Taurus, the opportunity for clear views of Jupiter in a telescope will end by mid-May, leaving it as a visual and binoculars target until the end of the month, when it will be setting in twilight only 80 minutes after the sun. The young crescent moon will climb past Jupiter on its right (celestial north) side on May 27-28.

Saturn

During May, yellowish, magnitude 1.15 Saturn will increase its angle from the predawn sun to 69 degrees, allowing the planet to be observed in telescopes in a dark sky at a reasonable altitude before the morning twilight hides it. Saturn will be travelling eastward below the western fish of Pisces and increasing its angle west of brilliant Venus. Meanwhile, the planet will decrease its angle from faint Neptune on its northeast. On May 6, Saturn will experience its equinox, when its ring plane will be perfectly edge-on to the sun and cast no shadow onto the planet's globe. From Earth, the rings will appear extremely thin and weakly illuminated. The waning crescent moon will be positioned several degrees to the west of Saturn on May 22. (

Uranus

Uranus will be out of sight during May. It will pass the sun on May 17 and then enter the eastern pre-dawn sky, where it will gradually emerge from the morning twilight in June.

Neptune

During May, Neptune will increase its angle from the morning sun by almost 30 degrees, allowing it to rise during the wee hours of the morning and climb high enough to be observed in telescopes by month's end. The magnitude 7.9 planet will be creeping eastward through western Pisces. Faster Venus will pass only 4 degrees to the north of Neptune on May 2, while slower Saturn will halve its separation west of Neptune from 3.3 to 1.65 degrees. The waning crescent moon will hop past Neptune and Saturn on May 22-23.

Skywatching terms

Gibbous: Used to describe a planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated.

Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.

Degrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It's easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky, while a finger covers about one degree.

Visual Magnitude: This is the astronomer's scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.

Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.

Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.

Night sky observing tips

Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe fainter objects, such as meteors, dim stars, nebulas, and galaxies, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Avoid looking at your phone's bright screen by keeping it tucked away. If you must use it, set the brightness to minimum — or cover it with clingy red film.

Light Pollution: Even from a big city, one can see the moon, a handful of bright stars, and the brightest planets - if they are above the horizon. But to fully enjoy the heavens — especially a meteor shower, the fainter constellations, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that is the disk of our home galaxy, the Milky Way — rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you're stuck in a city or suburban area, use a tree or dark building to block ambient light (or moonlight) and help reveal fainter sky objects. If you're in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.

Prepare for skywatching: If you plan to be outside for more than a few minutes, and it's not a warm summer evening, dress more warmly than you think is necessary. An hour of winter observing can chill you to the bone. For meteor showers, a blanket or lounge chair will prove to be much more comfortable than standing, or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.

Daytime skywatching: On the days surrounding first quarter, the moon is visible in the afternoon daytime sky. At last quarter, the moon rises before sunrise and lingers into the morning daytime sky. When Venus is at a significant angle away from the sun it can often be spotted during the day as a brilliant point of light - but you'll need to consult an astronomy app to know when and where to look for it. When large sunspots develop on the sun, they can be seen without a telescope — as long as you use proper solar filters, such as eclipse glasses. Permanent eye damage can occur if you look at the sun for any length of time without protective eyewear.