Sun, Moon, Stars: May 2001
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
Sun, Moon & Stars
Movement of the heavenly bodies: May 2001
Movement of the heavenly bodies: May 2001
| Celestial links · Visibility of the Planets · Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset · Equinoxes and Solstices · Eclipses in 2001 · Astronomical terms · Calendar 2001 | Visit the Astronomy Center for more on the universe, the solar system, and related astronomical phenomena |
May Calendar
| Moon Phase | Day | Phenomenon | Hour (UT) | Hour (EST) |
 | 2 | The Moon is at its perigee, or closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. | 0400 | 12 am (midnight) |
 | 4 | Venus is at its greatest brilliancy. | 1800 | 2 pm |
 | 7 | FULL MOON | 1400 | 10 am |
| 7 | Mercury is 4 degrees north of Saturn. | 1700 | 1 pm |
 | 10 | Mars is 1 degree 9 minutes south of the Moon | 1900 | 3 pm |
 | 11 | Neptune appears to be motionless in the sky as its apparent direct motion changes to backward, or retrograde, motion. | 0200 | 10 pm (May 10) |
 | 11 | Mars appears to be motionless in the sky as its apparent direct motion changes to backward, or retrograde, motion. | 1500 | 11 am |
 | 12 | Mercury is 8 degrees north of Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. | 1000 | 6 am |
 | 14 | Neptune is 3 degrees north of the Moon. | 0000 | 8 pm (May 13) |
 | 15 | The Moon is at its apogee, or farthest point from Earth in its monthly orbit. | 0100 | 9 pm (May 14) |
| 15 | Uranus is 3 degrees north of the Moon. | 0800 | 4 am |
| 15 | LAST QUARTER | 1000 | 6 am |
 | 16 | Mercury is 3 degrees north of Jupiter. | 1700 | 1 pm |
 | 18 | Ceres, the largest asteroid, appears to be motionless in the sky as its apparent direct motion changes to backward, or retrograde, motion. | 2100 | 5 pm |
 | 19 | Venus is 4 degrees north of the Moon. | 0900 | 5 am |
 | 20 | Vesta, the third-largest asteroid, is 0 degrees 6 minutes north of Moon. The asteroid is occulted, or hidden from view, by the Moon. | 2100 | 5 pm |
 | 22 | Mercury is at its greatest elongation, or angular distance from the Sun, at 22 degrees east of the Sun. | 0400 | 12 am (midnight) |
 | 23 | NEW MOON | 0300 | 11 pm (May 22) |
 | 24 | Jupiter is 1 degree 3 minutes north of the Moon. | 0700 | 3 am |
| 24 | Mercury is 3 degrees north of the Moon. | 1900 | 3 pm |
 | 25 | Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun, that is, Saturn and Earth are aligned on opposite sides of the Sun. | 1300 | 9 am |
 | 27 | The Moon is at its perigee, or closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. | 1700 | 3 am |
 | 27 | Pallas, the second-largest asteroid, is at opposition, that is Pallas and the Sun are aligned on opposite sides of Earth. | 1800 | 2 pm |
 | 29 | FIRST QUARTER | 2200 | 6 pm |
| 29 | Uranus appears to be motionless in the sky as its apparent direct motion changes to backward, or retrograde, motion. | 2200 | 6 pm |
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