Download May 2014 night sky chart

Sydney Observatory night sky map
May 2014
A map for each month of the year, to help you learn about the night sky
www.sydneyobservatory.com.au
The star chart shows the stars and constellations visible in the night sky for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart,
Adelaide and Perth for May 2014 at about 7:30 pm (local standard time). For Darwin and similar locations, the chart will still
apply, but some stars will be lost off the southern edge while extra stars will be visible to the north. Stars down to a brightness or
magnitude limit of 4.5 are shown. To use this star chart, rotate it so that the direction you are facing (north, south, east or west)
is shown at the bottom. The centre of the chart represents the point directly above your head, called the zenith, and the outer
circular edge represents the horizon.
Zero or brighter
1st magnitude
2nd
3rd
4th
Moon phase
URSA MAJOR
First quarter: 07th
Full Moon: 15th
Last quarter: 21st
New
AURIGAMoon: 29th
LYNX
CANES VENATICI
NW
NE
CORONA BOREALIS
North
Star brightness
LEO MINOR
Castor
First Quarter
Moon on 7th
BOOTES
Pollux
Pollux
P
COMA BERENICES
Arcturus
Jupiter
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
Mercury
on 30th
P
Regulus
CANIS MINOR
SERPENS
VIRGO
Spica
CANIS MINOR
SEXTANS
SEXTANS
P
Moon
on 30th
Procyon
HYDRA
Betelgeuse
Mars
CRATER
CORVUS
MONOCEROS
ORION
HYDRA
Zubenelgenubi
HYDRA
OPHIUCHUS
Sirius
Sirius
CANIS MAJOR
PYXIS
ANTLIA
FALSE CROSS
Rigel
Adhara
SOUTHERN
CROSS
VELA
CENTAURUS
West
East
Saturn
PLIBRA
LEPUS
PUPPIS
Mimosa
M4
Antares
Antares
COLUMBA
CRUX
CARINA
Jewel
Box
Mimosa
Hadar
MUSCA
Alpha Centauri
VOLANS
CIRCINUS
Coalsack
NORMA
Proxima Centauri
CHAMAELEON
LUPUS
POINTERS
SCORPIUS
M6
LMC
South Celestial Pole
ARA
CAELUM
MENSA
APUS
M7
ERIDANUS
PICTOR
DORADO
TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE
Centre of the Galaxy
Canopus
Canopus
RETICULUM
ERIDANUS
OCTANS
Chart key
HYDRUS
SE
CORONA AUSTRALIS
Bright star
TELESCOPIUM
Faint star
SAGITTARIUS
Ecliptic
Milkway
First quarter Moon
P Planet
LMC or Large Magellanic Cloud
SMC or Small Magellanic Cloud
HOROLOGIUM
SMC
PAVO
FORNAX
SW
Achernar
TUCANA
INDUS
South
PHOENIX
The Southern Cross is high in the sky towards the south and is easily located using the two nearby Pointer stars. The Pointer
‘star’ Alpha Centauri is actually a multiple star; these are the nearest stars to the Sun and Earth. Nearby is the False Cross often
mistaken for the Southern Cross. Mars is in the north-east in Virgo. Saturn is located towards the east, appearing as a star-like
object in the constellation of Libra. Jupiter can be seen low in the north-west shortly after sunset and is next to a crescent Moon
on the 4th. On the 30th at 6pm the crescent Moon, Mercury and Jupiter are low in the north-west. The best time to view the
Moon with a small telescope or binoculars is a few days either side of the first quarter Moon on the 7th.
Sydney Observatory, with a magnificent view overlooking Sydney Harbour, is open 10am to
5pm daily – except closed Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and open 10am to
noon on 31st December. Open Monday to Saturday for night telescope sessions (planetarium
session if cloudy) and 3D movies about the Universe. Bookings are essential for night programs.
For more information, check the website at www.sydneyobservatory.com or call (02) 9921 3485.
Sydney Observatory is at 1003 Upper Fort Street, Observatory Hill, in the historic Rocks area of
Sydney.
Sydney Observatory is part of the Powerhouse Museum. The Sydney Observatory night sky map is prepared by Dr M Anderson using the
software TheSky. © 2014 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney.