“What’s up in the sky?” is a recurring feature and publishes on the first of every month. You can find it on WTOP’s The Space Place. Email Greg your space questions and he might answer them in the next edition.
Welcome to WTOP’s monthly feature: “What’s up in the sky?” Each month will feature the best the sky has to offer stargazers regarding the moon, planets and stars. Space related events that might interest you taking place in the D.C. area will be included as well.
Let’s get to the sky for May 2025!
Must-see sky sights for May
During May, Venus dominates as the brilliant “Morning Star” in the east-southeast before dawn; the Eta Aquariid meteor shower takes place; the moon has some nice pairings with stars and planets; and the Milky Way makes its appearance at midnight.
This month I have added a new feature, “Star of the Month,” which will highlight a star each month that will catch your eye and attention as you gaze at the sky.
Star of the Month:
Arcturus easily catches our eyes and attention in the east after it gets dark. And well, it should with its orangish hue and brightness. Arcturus is the fourth brightest star in the entire night sky and the brightest star above the equator. I always enjoy looking at Arcturus while it stands alone in its section of the sky.
Highlight of the Month:
As we go through May, each night in the southeast around midnight, our galaxy, the Milky Way, rises. You need a dark sky site to see the Milky Way and a clear view of the horizon.
As May begins, the Milky Way rises around midnight and climbs higher in the sky until dawn.
In late May, more of our galaxy is visible at midnight and actually forms an arch in the sky from the southeast to the northeast. You can capture the Milky Way with a smartphone and/or camera by taking time exposures and, for best results, using a tripod. As we get into the summer months, the view will become even more spectacular and earlier in the night.
May 1: Brilliant Venus and Saturn pair up in the predawn sky in the east-southeast.
May 3: Mars will be just below the almost first quarter moon in the west.
May 4-5: On these nights, Mars passes a faint star cluster called the “Beehive,” so-called because in a dark sky, the faint stars resemble a swarm of bees. You really need a dark sky site and binoculars to see this nifty sky sight.
May 5-6: The Eta Aquariid meteor shower, which favors observers in the Southern Hemisphere, peaks on these dates. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is best to check for meteors in the east starting 90 minutes before dawn. You might see 10-30 meteors an hour. The farther south in latitude you are, the better your chances to see this shower.
May 10: The almost full moon rises with the star Spica above it and they keep each other company until dawn.
May 11: An unusual object is about to reenter Earth’s atmosphere. The heat-resistant Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482 launched on March 31, 1972, bound for Venus. After a successful launch to a temporary orbit around Earth, a problem with a timer cut an engine burn prematurely. The spacecraft was unable to leave our planet’s orbit. It’s been circling Earth for 53 years and will reenter the atmosphere around May 8 to 14, 2025, centered around May 11, according to satellite expert Marco Langbroek.
May 12: The full flower moon rises at sunset in the southeast.
May 13: The red supergiant star Antares and the bright waning moon rise in the southeast after dark and remain in close tandem all night.
May 22: The waning crescent moon is in the east-southeast before dawn above Saturn. Look for earthshine on the moon. Try taking a smartphone/camera picture.
May 23: The waning crescent moon in the east-southeast before dawn is now above beautiful and bright Venus. The thin crescent moon, Saturn and Venus form a nice triple conjunction. Look for earthshine on the moon.
May 31: The five-day-old waxing crescent moon in the west at dusk is near Mars. Look for earthshine on the moon.
The moon
May 4: First quarter
May 12: Full flower moon
May 20: Last quarter
May 27: New moon
Planets
Mercury is very low in the eastern horizon before dawn and favors observers in the Southern Hemisphere.
Venus blazes above the eastern horizon before dawn, you can’t miss it.
Mars is in the western sky as it gets dark and has faded in brightness.
Jupiter is in the western sky at sunset, getting closer to the horizon as the month progresses. But don’t wait too long, as Jupiter will be getting harder to see in the bright twilight; 7×50 binoculars will show the four main moons of Jupiter looking like “stars” in a line that constantly changes. You can identify the moons by checking online. A small telescope can reveal features in Jupiter’s atmosphere.
Saturn is visible well above the eastern horizon before dawn. You could get a great view with a telescope as the rings cast a thin line across the planet.
Uranus is too close to the sun to be seen.
Neptune is above the eastern horizon before dawn and near Saturn. You need a telescope to observe the planet.
Pluto is way out there in the solar system and requires taking images through a telescope spaced days apart to hunt it down.
DC-area events
Shenandoah National Park
- In May, I will be starting my 11th season of “Let’s Talk About Space” at Shenandoah National Park’s Big Meadows and Skyland. I hope you can join me. The park is an excellent dark sky site and its rangers conduct a variety of activities for you to enjoy.
- NOVAC General Meeting, George Mason University. Check the calendar for the date and other May astronomy events.
- National Capital Astronomers, 7 p.m., May 10: Rob Zellem (GSFC/RST), The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
- The Analemma Society is pausing operations and work with Fairfax County Park Authority regarding Friday Night Public Viewing Sessions at Turner Farm in Great Falls temporarily. Check their calendar for other astronomy activities in May.
Smithsonian Air and Space in D.C. and Chantilly has loads of astronomy stuff in May.
You can check here and here for astronomy clubs that are outside the D.C. area.
Bonus!
Download NASA’s 2025 Science calendar that features out-of-this-world pictures and information.
The Planetary Society’s Space Events 2025 Calendar is another resource for tracking space missions.
Use this useful tool to create a custom star chart for your location to help you find your way around the stars.
You can also send in any space related questions to my email address. Suggestions about this feature are also welcome.
Follow Greg Redfern on Facebook, Bluesky and his daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration
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