While in isolation, we hope you make the most of the night sky — and here’s the SkyNews centre spread star chart for May/June 2020 to help you do just that.
Our chart shows the major stars, planets, and constellations visible from Canada and the northern United States for the months of May/June 2020. You will also see our Celestial Calendar and Planets at a Glance features on the left side of the chart, which give you a good idea of what big events are coming up in our night sky.
Night sky highlights
Here are the main highlights of what you can expect to see in the sky May/June 2020, published in our Celestial Calendar. Pick up the current edition of SkyNews to read “Exploring the Night Sky” by Brian Ventrudo for more details on major events.
You can also keep your eyes on This Week’s Sky by Chris Vaughan, published online every week.
Coming up over the next two months
MAY 5 Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower, 1-2 hours before dawn (see bonus online Exploring the Night Sky feature)
MAY 7 Full Moon, 6:45 a.m. EDT
MAY 11 Saturn begins retrograde motion
MAY 12 Jupiter 3.5° north of waning gibbous Moon in Sagittarius, Saturn about 4.7° to the northeast in Capricornus (see page 28 of the current issue of SkyNews)
MAY 14 Last-quarter Moon; Jupiter begins retrograde motion
MAY 15 Mars 3° north of last-quarter Moon
MAY 21 Mercury about 1° away from Venus; Mercury at greatest heliocentric latitude north
(see page 29 of the current issue of SkyNews)
MAY 22 New Moon, 1:38 p.m. EDT
MAY 23 Venus 4° north of Moon
MAY 24 Mercury 3° north of Moon; Vesta occulted over most of North America
MAY 29 First-quarter Moon
JUNE 4 Mercury at greatest elongation east (24°)
JUNE 5 Full Moon, 3:12 p.m. EDT; Penumbral lunar eclipse, none of which is visible from North America
JUNE 8 Jupiter 2° north of Moon; Saturn 3° north of Moon
JUNE 12 Mars 1.7° southwest of Neptune (see page 30 of the current issue of SkyNews)
June 12 Mars 5° northeast of Moon
JUNE 13 Last-quarter Moon JUNE 16 Uranus 4° north of waxing gibbous Moon
JUNE 19 Venus 0.7° south of waxing crescent Moon, occulted in eastern Canada (see page 30 of the current issue of SkyNews)
JUNE 20 Summer solstice, 5:43 p.m. EDT (summer begins)
JUNE 21 New Moon 2:41 a.m. EDT; annular solar eclipse, none of which is visible from North America
JUNE 28 First-quarter Moon
