Mars and Venus are the planets that dominate May evenings and the moon “washes out” many of the faint stars for the first week or so. By the second week, you will have about 3 hours of dark sky before the waning (getting thinner) gibbous moon rises in the east.
In the late evenings, the Milky Way rises in the east. However, you will need a rural sky to be able to see it. Light pollution from the bright LED street lights and house lights will prevent most urbanites from seeing it. But even a neighbour’s unshielded rural lighting can prevent you from seeing it.
On May 23, watch for the near-half moon joining Mars and Venus high in the western sky after sunset.
MAY 2023 NOTEABLE EVENTS
May 5 (Fri) Full Moon
May 11 (Thu) Moon at Perigee
May 14 (Sun) Sun enters Taurus
May 19 (Fri) New Moon
May 25 (Thu) Moon at Apogee
May 29 (Mon) Mercury at western elongation in morning
