PATH OF THE
PLANETS
The planets in May 2018
CAS
DR A
Objects visible before dawn
AND
L AC
LY R
CYG
PER
HER
BOÖ
T RI
C rB
ARI
Merc
ury
PS C
V UL
PEG
Sun
Uranus
SGE
EQU
SER
PS C
TAU
AQL
SER
Jupiter appears at its best
for the year in May
Celestial equator
Neptune
ERI
VIR
AQR
CET
OPH
SCT
th
Path of
Vesta
Mars
Saturn
Pluto
S CL
F OR
16
LI B
CAP
PsA
SGR
GRU
MIC
Amphitrite
C rA
LUP
SC O
Dawn
Moon phases
15
14
Midnight
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
31
The planets
in the sky
n
e Moo
2
30
1
29
28
27
These illustrations show the size, phase, and orientation of each planet and the two brightest dwarf planets at 0h UT
for the dates in the data table at bottom. South is at the top to match the view through a telescope.
Uranus
Mercury
Mars
S
W
E
N
Venus
Ceres
Neptune
10"
40
Pluto
Saturn
Jupiter
Planets MERCURY
VENUS MARS CERES JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO
Date Magnitude May 1 May 15 May 15 May 15 May 15 May 15 May 15 May 15 May 15
0.3 –3.9 –0.7 8.5 –2.5 0.3 5.9 7.9 14.2
Angular size 7.8" 12.1" 12.8" 0.5" 44.8" 17.8" 3.4" 2.3" 0.1"
Illumination 46% 85% 89% 96% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Distance (AU) from Earth 0.859 1.375 0.734 2.526 4.403 9.319 20.806 30.307 33.001
Distance (AU) from Sun 0.459 0.718 1.476 2.559 5.408 10.066 19.888 29.942 33.562
Right ascension (2000.0) 0h54.1m 5h34.9m 20h07.4m 9h19.6m 15h01.0m 18h36.0m 1h51.3m 23h09.6m 19h30.3m
Declination (2000.0) 2°41' 24°44' –22°12' 26°36' –15°48' –22°18' 10°53' –6°25' –21°33'
A ST R O N O M Y • MAY 2018
26