Constellations by month

Constellations of May

The seven constellations at their best in May are Canes Venatici, Centaurus, Coma Berenices, Corvus, Crux, Musca and Virgo. The charts show the whole sky at 9 pm on May 15 from 40°N and 35°S. The eta Aquariids and eta Lyrids peak this month.

The sky at 9 pm in mid-May from 40°N VIRGO CENTAURUS CANES VENATICI COMA BERENICES CORVUS HYDRA URSA MAJOR HERCULES DRACO OPHIUCHUS LEO BOÖTES CYGNUS CAMELOPARDALIS AURIGA PERSEUS CASSIOPEIA CEPHEUS LYNX LIBRA GEMINI CANCER MONOCEROS LUPUS SEXTANS LYRA CRATER URSA MINOR ANTLIA LEO MINOR PYXIS CANIS MINOR CORONA BOREALIS N S E W
From 40°N (the United States, southern Europe, northern China, Japan). North at top; turn the chart so the direction you face is at the bottom.
The sky at 9 pm in mid-May from 35°S VIRGO CENTAURUS CANES VENATICI COMA BERENICES CORVUS MUSCA CRUX HYDRA OPHIUCHUS LEO BOÖTES SAGITTARIUS PUPPIS LIBRA CANCER VELA SCORPIUS CARINA MONOCEROS CANIS MAJOR PAVO LUPUS SEXTANS TUCANA INDUS OCTANS LEPUS COLUMBA TELESCOPIUM PICTOR HYDRUS ANTLIA ARA LEO MINOR PYXIS APUS CANIS MINOR DORADO CORONA BOREALIS NORMA MENSA VOLANS CAELUM RETICULUM S N W E
From 35°S (Sydney, Cape Town, Buenos Aires). South at top; the center is overhead and the rim is the horizon.

Bright lines and names: constellations at their best in May. Gold dashes: the ecliptic, where the Moon and planets travel. 9 pm local standard time on May 15; the same view comes an hour earlier at the end of the month and an hour later at the start. Click a name to open its chart.

Canes Venatici, Centaurus, Coma Berenices, Corvus, Crux, Musca and Virgo are at their best in May

A constellation is at its best when it stands highest in the evening, due south from the northern hemisphere or due north from the southern. The last two columns give its height above the horizon at 9 pm in mid-May.

ConstellationMeaningHemisphereBrightest starMessierAt 40°NAt 35°S
Canes VenaticiHunting DogsNorthernAsterion586°12°
CentaurusCentaurSouthernAlpha Centauri9°80°
Coma BerenicesBerenice's HairNorthernBeta Comae Berenices873°31°
CorvusCrowSouthernGienah30°74°
CruxSouthern CrossSouthernAcruxbelow horizon63°
MuscaFlySouthernAlpha Muscaebelow horizon52°
VirgoVirginSouthernSpica1145°57°

Constellations more than 20° high at 9 pm in May

Measured at the center of each constellation. Large constellations can be partly visible when their center is lower.

From 40°N: 19 constellations

From 35°S: 30 constellations

Meteor showers peaking in May

Rates are the zenithal hourly rate, the count one observer would see under a dark sky with the radiant overhead; real counts are lower. Peak dates move by about a day from year to year.

ShowerPeakActiveRate per hourRadiantParent body
eta AquariidsMay 6Apr 19 - May 2850Aquarius1P/Halley
eta LyridsMay 11May 3 - May 143LyraC/1983 H1 (IRAS-Araki-Alcock)
alpha ScorpiidsMay 16Scorpius
Eta PegasidsMay 30Pegasus
Zeta HerculidsMay 11Hercules

Video: May stargazing

May Stargazing: Constellations & Meteor Showers · Watch on YouTube

Constellations month by month

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