Astronomy

May 2025 astronomy events

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Check out the May 2025 astronomy events happening this month! From meteor showers to a full flower moon, our guide will keep you busy. Here's hoping the April storms and showers will usher in plenty of dark, clear skies for us all!

As the days grow longer and the air warmer across North America, May 2025 brings a rich tapestry of celestial phenomena for astronomers and seasoned astrophotographers. From planetary alignments and meteor showers to deep-sky marvels in optimal conditions, this month offers both spectacle and opportunity for those with advanced telescope equipment and imaging setups. Pictured above: Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower.

Photo credit: NASA/MSFC/B. Cooke

May 2025 astronomy events to be aware of

Below, we’ll explore the most important astronomy events of the month, planetary movements, lunar phases, and the best deep-sky objects (DSOs) to capture under May’s dark skies.

Key Night Sky Events in May 2025

1. Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower – Peak: May 5–6, 2025

This annual meteor shower, resulting from debris left by Halley’s Comet, is known for its swift, bright meteors. While it favors observers in the Southern Hemisphere, stargazers in southern parts of the U.S. and Mexico can still enjoy a decent show.

Peak Rate: Up to 20–30 meteors/hour under ideal dark skies.
Viewing Window: 3 AM to dawn.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (~10% illumination) – excellent for dark-sky viewing.
Best Locations: Southern U.S., especially in high-elevation areas with low humidity (e.g., Arizona, New Mexico).

Photography Tip: Use wide-field lenses (14mm–24mm) to capture the radiant in Aquarius rising in the pre-dawn sky, ideally with a static foreground or time-lapse sequence.

2. Conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus – May 8, 2025

This rare and close conjunction brings bright Jupiter within just 0.5° of Uranus in the early morning sky, near the constellation Aries.

Separation: Less than 30 arcminutes.
Visibility Window: ~4 AM local time, in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Magnitude: Jupiter (–2.1), Uranus (+5.8).

Photography Tip: This is an excellent telescopic target. Capture both gas giants in the same field of view using a focal length between 600–1000mm. Consider LRGB imaging for Uranus and lucky imaging techniques for Jupiter.

3. First Quarter Moon Occults Antares – May 11, 2025

On the evening of May 11, the Moon will occult the bright red supergiant Antares (α Scorpii) for parts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

Time of Event: Around 10 PM MDT.
Visibility: Southern U.S., especially visible from Texas, Arizona, and parts of northern Mexico.
Sky Condition: Moon brightness will make it a challenge but a worthy one.

Photography Tip: Use a fast camera to capture the moment Antares disappears or reappears behind the lunar limb. Consider using video recording with a Barlow lens on an 8"+ SCT or Newtonian.

4. Full Flower Moon – May 22, 2025

While full moons are not ideal for deep-sky photography, they present great lunar imaging opportunities, especially for capturing high-resolution mosaics or experimenting with narrowband imaging techniques.

Illumination: 100%
Moonrise Time: ~8:30 PM local time.
Notable Feature: This full moon will pass just south of the galactic center area, making for striking wide-field compositions.

Photography Tip: Try capturing a telephoto shot of the full Moon rising behind a local landmark. Planning tools like PhotoPills or Stellarium can help map this in advance.

Pictured above: The Mars Perseverance rover, the first step of a proposed roundtrip journey to return Mars samples to Earth

Video credit: NASA

Planetary Highlights

Mars and Saturn in the Morning Sky

Throughout May, Mars and Saturn remain visible in the early morning hours, slowly drifting apart after a close conjunction in April.

Saturn: Rises around 3:30 AM, in Aquarius.
Mars: Appears around 4 AM, in Pisces.
Best Viewing Time: 4–5:30 AM, with planets ~30° above the horizon.

Photography Tip: This is a good time to capture both planets individually with high-magnification imaging setups, especially as Saturn's rings are still nicely inclined.

Lunar Phases in May 2025

New Moon: May 20 – Best deep-sky viewing window (May 17–24).
First Quarter: May 11
Full Moon: May 22
Last Quarter: May 28

Astrophotography Planning: The week surrounding the New Moon (especially May 17–24) is your optimal window for deep-sky imaging and wide-field Milky Way shots.

Deep-sky delights for May: Top targets for astrophotographers

1. Messier 13 – The Great Hercules Cluster

Type: Globular Cluster
Magnitude: +5.8
Best Time: 11 PM–3 AM
Location: Constellation Hercules (RA 16h 41m, Dec +36° 28′)

A must-shoot for every Northern Hemisphere astrophotographer, M13 resolves beautifully through medium-to-large telescopes (8”+). Use longer focal lengths (1000mm+) for tight framing, or a 400–600mm refractor for contextual wide-field imaging.

Photo credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: C. Bailyn (Yale University), W. Lewin (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), A. Sarajedini (University of Florida), and W. van Altena (Yale University)

2. Messier 51 – The Whirlpool Galaxy

Type: Spiral Galaxy (interacting pair)
Magnitude: +8.4
Best Time: 10 PM–2 AM
Location: Constellation Canes Venatici (RA 13h 30m, Dec +47° 12′)

The classic face-on spiral is an excellent target for color LRGB or mono CCD setups. Its companion galaxy (NGC 5195) creates beautiful tidal structures.

Pro Tip: Use multiple nights of integration (8–12+ hours) with a monochrome camera and filters to reveal faint outer arms and intergalactic dust.

3. Messier 101 – The Pinwheel Galaxy

Type: Grand Design Spiral Galaxy
Magnitude: +7.9
Location: Constellation Ursa Major (RA 14h 03m, Dec +54° 21′)

This expansive galaxy is best shot with focal lengths of 600–900mm. The May new moon window is perfect for imaging its outer structures, especially with Ha filters that enhance the red emission regions in star-forming arms.

4. NGC 4565 – The Needle Galaxy

Type: Edge-On Spiral Galaxy
Magnitude: +10.4
Location: Coma Berenices (RA 12h 36m, Dec +25° 59′)

A perfect example of an edge-on galaxy, NGC 4565 stands out for its central dust lane and slim profile. It’s ideal for mid-sized scopes (~1000mm focal length).

5. The Rho Ophiuchi Complex – Wide-Field Nebula

Type: Reflection, Emission, and Dark Nebulae
Best Time: 1 AM–4 AM
Location: Borders Scorpius and Ophiuchus (RA 16h–17h)

As the Milky Way returns to prominence, Rho Ophiuchi becomes a dream target. This complex includes IC 4603/4604, the Blue Horsehead, and Antares. Requires dark skies and fast optics.

Pro Tip: Use a cooled DSLR or astro-modified mirrorless camera on a tracker with a 135mm–200mm lens. Integrate 4–6 hours to reveal the pastel hues and dust clouds.

6. Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) and Surrounding Nebulae

Type: Dense Milky Way region with open clusters, dark nebulae, and star fields.
Best Time: ~3 AM onwards, near horizon (southern U.S. or Mexico).
Targets: M24, Lagoon Nebula (M8), Trifid Nebula (M20), Omega Nebula (M17).

As Sagittarius rises late in May, it heralds the start of Milky Way season. This is prime territory for wide-field mosaics or narrowband imaging.

Tip for Advanced Users: Create 4-panel mosaics with dual-narrowband filters (Ha/Oiii) to isolate emission lines from background starlight.

Bonus: Imaging the Milky Way Core - Late May Preview

By mid to late May, the Milky Way’s galactic core begins to rise earlier in the night, especially for southern states and desert areas. By 2–3 AM, the core will be ~25°–35° above the horizon.

Photo credit: NASA

Ideal Locations:

Big Bend National Park (TX)
Death Valley (CA/NV)
Cherry Springs State Park (PA)
Jasper National Park (AB, Canada)

Use fast wide-angle lenses (f/2.0 or faster), stack multiple exposures with star trackers, and shoot during the new moon window.

Final thoughts

May 2025 is shaping up to be a fantastic month for astronomy enthusiasts and astrophotographers across North America. With a waning crescent during the Eta Aquariids, a dark window around the new moon for deep-sky imaging, and a rare planetary conjunction, it’s an exciting time to plan nights under the stars.

Whether you're chasing galaxies in Ursa Major or capturing the Milky Way over desert landscapes, be sure to take full advantage of the dark-sky windows and clear spring weather. Clear skies!