Best Night Sky Events for May 2023

May 8, 9 — The η-Lyrid (η is the Greek symbol for Eta) meteor shower will be active from May 3 to May 14, producing its peak rate of meteors from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. May 9. At its peak, the shower is expected to produce a nominal rate of around three meteors per hour. During this period, there will be a chance of seeing η-Lyrid meteors whenever the shower's radiant point — in the constellation Lyra — is above the horizon.

May 13 — Conjunction of the moon and Saturn. Saturn passes at 3.2 degrees north of the moon at 5:07 a.m. The moon is at a magnitude of -11.7, and Saturn is at a magnitude of 0.8. At this time the moon phase is 39.4%.

May 17 — Conjunction of the moon and Jupiter (plus an occultation). Jupiter goes behind the moon which is called an occultation. Jupiter disappears behind the moon at 4:50 a.m. and reappears at 5:32 a.m. The moon is at a magnitude of -9.4, and Jupiter has a magnitude of -2.1. At this time the moon phase is 5.1%.

May 17 — Conjunction of the moon and Mercury. Mercury passes at 3.4 degrees south of the moon at 6:36 p.m. The moon is at a magnitude of -8.8, and Mercury is at a magnitude of 1.6. At this time the moon phase is 2.9%.

May 19 — New moon. The moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 7:55 a.m. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

May 23 — Conjunction of the moon and Venus. Venus passes at 2.1 degrees south of the moon at 5:09 a.m. The moon is at a magnitude of -10.4, and Venus is at a magnitude of -4.2. At this time the moon phase is 14.6%.

May 29 — Mercury at greatest western elongation. The planet Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation of 24.9 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

All times are Pacific Daylight Time.

Astronomy versus astrology: What’s the difference?

Astronomy and astrology were both studied in ancient times to understand the movements and patterns displayed by the visible celestial bodies and how that influenced our daily, weekly, yearly, and entire lives. However, over time, the two fields diverged and developed in different ways.

In the 17th century, the term "astronomy" was adopted to describe the study of the cosmos, replacing the term "astrology," which had been used previously. This change reflected the increasing emphasis on observation, measurement and scientific methodology in the study of the cosmos.

Today, astronomy is a rigorous scientific discipline that is the study of everything in the universe beyond Earth's atmosphere. It seeks to understand the physical laws and phenomena that govern the universe. Astrology, on the other hand, is still practiced by some as a form of divination or spiritual practice, but it is not considered a scientific field of study.

Bottom line: these terms are not interchangeable.

John Taylor is an amateur astronomer who lives in Hayden.