There’s no getting away from the fact that May 2024 isn’t a month for planets, but your best bet for planetary observing could well be Saturn.
None of the major planets is even moderately well placed this month, a rather unusual situation overall.
The best is Saturn, but even this is a bit of a challenge!
Although not ideal during May, things will improve soon, and the second half of 2024 is set to be planet heaven.
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Observing Saturn in May 2024
Saturn is currently in the morning sky but not well positioned. It’s located in eastern Aquarius, rising around 04:20 BST (03:20 UT) on 1 May.
On this date the planet has a magnitude of +0.8 and is only ever located in the brightening dawn twilight, so it will take a bit of finding.
As May progresses, Saturn’s position improves marginally and it’s able to reach an altitude of around 10° under reasonably deep twilight.
This is still too low for serious telescopic observation, low altitude causing all sorts of distortions through the eyepiece of a telescope.
Read our guide for tips on how to observe Saturn with a telescope
Saturn meets the Moon
With the naked eye or binoculars, look out for a 20%-lit waning crescent Moon 3.3° east of Saturn on the morning of 4 May.
They should be visible in the same binocular field of view, very low above a flat east-southeast horizon around 04:40 BST (03:40 UT).
The Moon pays a second visit on 31 May, this time as a 45%-lit waning crescent, 3.2° to the southwest of the planet.
Catch both objects together after 03:30 BST (02:30 UT) on this date.
Saturn’s overall position won’t improve much this side of the summer solstice, but the improvement afterwards will be rapid.
If you do manage to grab a view of the planet through a telescope, its rings are now showing a very shallow tilt angle.
This guide appeared in the May 2024 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine
