Topline
With the full Flower Moon out of the night sky this May weekend, it’s a great time to go stargazing under dark, moonless night skies. As well as seeing spring constellations, Jupiter remains bright in the post-sunset night sky, where it’s being joined by a rapidly brightening Venus shining brightly as the “Evening Star.” Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing this weekend.
Timeline
Bright planets Jupiter and Venus dominate the post-sunset sky in the west. They’re currently drawing closer together and will be in a very close conjunction on June 9.
The moon will reach its last quarter phase, rising after midnight, creating dark night skies for the next 10 days. For the next week, a crescent moon will be seen in the hours before sunrise.
With the moon out of the way, tonight is perfect for stargazing, finding spring constellations such as Ursa Major, Boötes, Cancer and Leo.
‘go ‘arc To Arcturus’
With darker conditions returning, have a go at a classic sky navigation technique: the star-hop from the Big Dipper to red supergiant star Arcturus and onward to bluish Spica. Find the curved handle of the Big Dipper high in the north, follow its arc to bright Arcturus, then continue along the same curve to find Spica low in the southeast.
What’s Next In The Night Sky This Month
On May 12-13, a waning crescent moon will appear low in the east, near Saturn, before sunrise for a brief pre-dawn view. On May 15, a 4%-lit waning crescent passes close to Mars. After the new moon on May 16, look for a young crescent in the west at sunset, near Venus and Jupiter on May 18-20. On May 30, a blue moon rises at dusk.
What’s Next In The Night Sky In 2026
There’s plenty more to look forward to in 2026. A Venus-Jupiter conjunction on June 9-11 will be one of the standout evening events of the year—and it will be visible from North America. On Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, with the Perseid meteor shower peaking the same night. On December 14-15, the Geminid meteor shower will offer the year’s most reliable shooting stars.
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium.
