Download May 2016 night sky chart

Night sky map
May 2016
STAR BRIGHTNESS
Zero or brighter
st
1 magnitude
2nd
3rd
4th
Castor
Pollux
P
Jupiter First Quarter
on 15th Moon on 14th
SEXTANS
CANIS MINOR
HYDRA
Sirius
HYDRA
FALSE CROSS
Full Moon
on 22nd
P
Mars
on 22nd
OPHIUCHUS
SOUTHERN
CROSS
Mimosa
P
Saturn
on 22nd
M4
Jewel Box
Antares
Canopus
POINTERS
Coalsack
Proxima Centauri
M6
M7
ERIDANUS
CHART KEY
Bright star
Faint star
Ecliptic
Milky Way
Celestial Equator
P Planet
LMC or Large Magellanic Cloud
SMC or Small Magellanic Cloud
MOON PHASE
New Moon
First quarter
Full Moon
Last quarter
07th
14th
22nd
29th
THE CHART
HIGHLIGHTS IN MAY 2016
The star chart shows the stars and constellations visible in
the night sky for Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart and
Adelaide for March 2015 at about 9 pm (summer time) and
at about 8 pm (local standard time) for Perth and Brisbane.
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 on the star chart. To use
this star chart, rotate the chart 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 point, and the outer circular
edge represents the horizon.
The Southern Cross is well placed for
observation as it is now high in the south-east.
The brightest star of the Cross, Acrux, is the
closest to the horizon, while the next brightest,
Beta Crucis or Mimosa, is to the east. Jupiter is
located in the northern sky in the constellation
of Leo and is directly next to the crescent moon
on the 15th. Mars and Saturn appears low in the
east in Scorpius, while the full Moon between
the two planets on the 22nd. The Eta Aquariids
meteor shower will occur this month. Look for it
in the eastern sky in the early morning of the 6th.
Sydney Observatory is part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. The Sydney Observatory night sky map was created by Dr M. Anderson using the TheSky
software. This month’s edition was prepared by Dr Dimitri Douchin. © 2016 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney.