Like the flowers in May, the night sky this month also blossoms with spectacular celestial treats, kicking off its lineup with the Eta Aquarids meteor shower.
Since last month, Jovian siblings Jupiter and Saturn have been parading in the night sky, with the Red Planet sharing the spotlight in the hours of the evening when most people are still awake, a favorable time to show off their beauty.
This week, Mercury will join the band after nightfall, coming up in the northwest horizon just a bit lower than Jupiter. Of all the planets excluding Pluto that can be spotted in the night sky, this little world named after the gods' messenger is often regarded as an elusive gem, since it is confined only within the horizon in close proximity of the sun's blinding glare.
Watchers should not lose hope, though. In late May, Mercury will rise a little bit higher, becoming even more visible with the help of a telescope. It will appear like a bright orange glimmering jewel against a backdrop of purple twilight.
As always, Jupiter is magnificent in its own right, emerging in the early hours of the evening as a tiny white speck glistening about halfway up the night sky. Observers could expect more from the largest planet in the Solar System, as it would exhibit a mini show of its moons, if they have a telescope or binoculars at hand.
The same goes with Saturn, which will position itself in the lower southeast of the night sky, offering the same brightness as Jupiter's. It is in its most beautiful phase this year, as per the astronomers and perpetual stargazers, and its rings are in its fullest. A careful look through a telescope around 300 mm in length could reveal a surprise treat from the Solar System's famed Ring Bearer.
Finally, neighboring Mars is easy to spot because of its reddish-orange color that stands out amid strews of white and yellow stars.
The nightly treat will briefly extend until dawn, with the brightest planet Venus starring the show.
Searching for the planets in the sky may seem like looking for a needle in a haystack but it is, in fact, relatively easy.
First, planets don't twinkle, or scintillate for a more technical term, as much as the rest of the stars because they are nearer to Earth. Stars appear to twinkle because the Earth's atmosphere creates mild disturbances to the light coming from far-flung stars.
Second, all the planets seen from the Earth's sky traverse only in a single path called the ecliptic, which runs from east to west. Therefore, the search for these planets can be narrowed down into an imaginary path similar to the Sun and Moon's courses.
