Planets of the solar system in May. Starry sky in the evening

The sky in the coming year will, as before, delight and delight us with the most interesting astronomical phenomena: there will be celestial performances, and the occultation of some luminaries by others, and unusual comets will appear, and mysterious meteorites will fly by, and other events will happen, including those which are impossible to predict.

But what you won’t be able to observe this year, unfortunately, are eclipses: the first pair of them will take place on February 11 (penumbral lunar, in the Southern Hemisphere) and February 26 (solar, in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans), the second pair - as usual, in 177-178 days - August 7, lunar and August 21, solar will also be visible outside Russia.

Where and how can you observe planets?

MERCURY is best observed in the predawn sky in May - June (in Aries - Taurus) and in September (in Leo), when its brightness will reach a record minus first magnitude. The rest of the year it will appear low above the horizon, and observations will be quite problematic.

Mercury is full of mysteries, especially in motion. Suffice it to say that, having made two revolutions around the Sun (i.e. in two of its years - 176 of our days), it will turn around its axis exactly three times. Moreover, his day lasts exactly the same amount of time. What would it be like for us if night on Earth lasted 365 days? And the same day? Moreover, if at the same time the heat during the day was +450 degrees, and at night it was super cold - minus 180 degrees! These are exactly the “hellish” conditions on Mercury. Here it must be said that it was not in vain that the Almighty awarded him such long days: 88 of our days are day, 88 days are night. With our day (24 hours), it would not last even a year next to the Sun - it would fall apart from cyclic thermal deformations.

And further. It is almost magically connected with our Earth and with its neighbor Venus: the synodic period of Mercury (the time during which it overtakes the Earth by one revolution - 176 days) is exactly equal to a day on Venus (!) and exactly equal to two revolutions around its axis , and this one revolution is 10 times less than the synodic period of Venus (586.7: 58.67 = 10)! That's where the miracles are! Real! Not horoscopes.

VENUS - the planet is perfectly visible all year, except for the second half of March, when it will pass between the Sun and the Earth (on March 25 it is in inferior conjunction) and then will show off in the morning sky as the brightest luminary (up to minus 4.6 magnitude), visiting everything constellations from Pisces to Sagittarius in December.

Venus recently surprised us by showing for the first time a strange sideways smile, a bright arc in its atmosphere almost from pole to pole. What does this focus mean? Astrophysicists are still speculating on this matter.

The planet's atmosphere is unique in the solar system. Firstly, it consists of 96% carbon dioxide with drops of hydrochloric, sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids, i.e. terribly aggressive; secondly, it rotates furiously around the planet - 60 times faster than the surface! There are 10 thousand lightning strikes every second, which is 100 times more than on Earth. Due to the greenhouse effect, the rocky surface heats up to 500 degrees! And this is at a pressure of 95 atmospheres. Pure hell!

MARS is being capricious this year. In February - May, it appears in the evenings in Pisces, Aries and Taurus, and then in the predawn sky in Leo, Virgo and Libra, but its disk will be very tiny, no more than 6 arc seconds - not every amateur will see something.

But on September 12, you will be able to contemplate a real celestial spectacle: on the morning of this day, Mars and Mercury will converge in the sky! They will be separated by only 6 arc minutes - at one moment they will simply seem to touch each other. A rare sight!

JUPITER sparkles in Virgo, having a magnitude of about minus 2.2 magnitude. It is best to watch it all night in the first half of the year. On September 7, it will be in conjunction with the Sun and then move into morning visibility.

SATURN will be clearly visible in Ophiuchus (0.5 magnitude brightness) all year except the last week of December. Its rings are open and visible in full glory. By the way, these days the American Cassini spacecraft periodically dives into them, studying the composition and structure of the rings.

By the way, Saturn and Jupiter are also connected by their resonance: when the first makes two revolutions around the Sun, the second makes exactly five!

URANUS (in Pisces) and NEPTUNE (in Aquarius) are accessible for observation only by owners of reputable telescopes, since their magnitudes are about 5.5 and 7.8 magnitudes, respectively.

Planetary conjunctions

In addition to the mentioned performance of Mars and Mercury, Jupiter and Mercury will converge very closely (about one degree) in the sky on October 18, with Venus on November 13: the two brightest planets are a fantastic sight!

Coatings

This year the Moon will cover Mercury twice - on July 25 and September 19, and on September 18 both Venus and Mars in one morning (in Leo).

Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus will have to wait 3-5 years for occultations.

Comets

Of the 60 shaggy stars approaching the Sun this year, comets will be the best visible, even with binoculars:

Encke in the spring will pass over the stars Gamma, Iota, Omega of the constellation Pisces and then sharply turn south. The comet is not just extraordinary, but even strange: not only is it the fastest - it takes only 40 months to fly around the Sun (a record!), but it also moves in an incomprehensible way - in shocks, ignoring all the laws of celestial mechanics. Perhaps she's tripping over her own tail?

Johnson in March - June will fly through the constellations Hercules, Bootes and Virgo.

Panstars in May will have a maximum magnitude of 10 magnitude.

Giacobini-Kresaka on April 13 will pass 22 million km from Earth. Her path runs through the Big Dipper and the Dragon.

Of the meteor showers, the most impressive will be the Perseids on August 13 (Perseus) and the Leonids (Leo) on November 17.

Clear skies and successful observations everyone!

Alexander LESOVOY, methodologist, head of the astronomical circle of the Palace of Children and Youth Creativity

May 2017 is the last month of spring, when you can catch up on lost time and increase activity, but you should be prepared for surprises and transformations.

In addition, they will push you to rethink important events and directions of your life. retrograde planets. Relative to the observer from Earth, the retrograde planet turns around and begins to move in the opposite direction, which brings under attack those areas of your life for which it is responsible.

In May 2017, Mercury ends its retrograde motion, but it is still three whole planets continue to move retrograde: Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter.

An important event of the month: the karmic arrows of the Axis of Fate (North and South Nodes) will show a new path. The Virgo-Pisces axis changes to the Leo-Aquarius axis.

Be careful especially if you are currently living your 19th, 37th or 56th year. This means that at your birth, the North Node (Rahu) was in Leo and the South Node (Ketu) was in Aquarius, and now the Moon Nodes are returning. For you, it is an exam to fulfill your purpose. It is recommended for you.

WHAT ARE THE ASPECTS OF THE PLANETS YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT IN THE FORECAST

Aspects of planets in astrology are the special position of the planets relative to each other, the “look” of one planet at another. There are tense aspects - opposition and quadrature (square) and harmonious ones - sextile and trine (trine). Read more about aspects

Don't miss the opportunities of the first half of May 2017!

This half of the month favors, first of all, practical issues, including issues of profit and income.

However, be careful: the axis of fate, the North and South nodes, changes its position, attracting new tasks and questions into your life.

If you would like to make a breakthrough, increase activity, make plans for the future, plan it for the first half of the month.

  • Mercury, which has been moving retrograde since April 10, 2017, returns to direct, that is, direct, movement. Favorable start new projects, make plans, make large purchases, taking into account other influences of the month.
  • A good period for creativity. Interest in art, culture and music is growing.
  • They can internal problems will resolve themselves, which previously accumulated.
  • A favorable time for learning, self-knowledge, forgiveness of yourself and others.
  • This period gives flashes of insight, a creative approach to solving many issues. Helps lucky chance, unexpected turn of events, new information, change of positions, changes in laws, etc.
  • The information itself finds the person who needs it.
  • During this period, your energy potential increases, you feel that you are capable of actions that previously seemed impossible. The ability to be creative and create something new increases.
  • This one of the best periods for goal setting, strategic planning. Good for preparation.

from May 09, 2017- The North Node (Rahu) moves into the sign of Leo, the South Node (Ketu) - into the sign of Aquarius on 05/13/2018.

  • The Lunar Nodes are also called the Axis of Fate. The rotation of this axis indicates the need to reassess values ​​and change the focus of attention.
  • Your task for this year- give up impulsiveness, adventurism, and invisibility. develop in oneself properties associated with the sign of Leo, that is, awareness of your “I”, take responsibility, actively give your energy to the world.

from 10 to 13 May 2017- Mars square Neptune, Mercury trine Saturn

  • Things may not go well these days, agreements break down for unknown reasons, plans get upset, the situation gets out of control. At this time it is difficult to concentrate, collect yourself, be more attentive.
  • May open unpleasant facts, past mistakes and omissions make themselves felt, be careful.
  • During this period, it is good to start business related to new trends or technologies. Favorable period for creative and inventive people.
  • New projects can be supported by influential people.
  • During this period, you may feel an emotional uplift and a surge of energy.
  • These days, both reasonable risks and ambitious aspirations are justified. The time has come to implement new projects, expand the scope of activity and influence.
  • You can seek support from high-ranking people, find enthusiasts, and involve them in the business.

IMPORTANT DATES FROM 16 TO 31 May 2017

In the second half of the month you will need more caution; indulging in fleeting whims can cost you dearly.

Keep your ideas and plans to yourself, do not reveal them to untrusted people, so that your plans do not fall through.

In business, disagreements and disputes may appear, including friction with management, be careful.

  • If you have accumulated important, painstaking work, it’s time to use this period to sort it out.
  • Please note: during this period no need to start arguments in order to convince someone, since it will not be easy, or rely on very clear and specific arguments.
  • During this period, problems in business are possible, for example, expenses increase for unforeseen reasons. There may be delays in the receipt of money, waste, and ill-considered investment of funds.
  • Misunderstandings are also possible, it’s easy developing into conflicts. Be careful. You should also be careful with road acquaintances.
  • During this period, it is necessary to control emotions, since any misunderstanding or accident can cause conflict.
  • Should not be taken decisions on important matters, launch new projects, negotiate, sign cooperation agreements, it is better to avoid any financial transactions and transactions with funds.
  • This period encourages daydreaming and awakens the imagination. This is a good time for those who are blessed creative abilities and talents, for writers, poets, journalists, everyone whose work is related to words.
  • A very good period for advertising activities.
  • This is the time when familiar, long-established things can fail. Conflicts may arise from the need to throw out accumulated negative emotions, old grievances are remembered. Don't be nervous just put off important things for another, more appropriate time.
  • The likelihood of accidents, breakdowns, fires, work-related injuries, and occupational diseases increases. Be careful.

from May 29 to June 1, 2017- Mars sextile Uranus, Mercury trine Pluto

  • Initiative and enterprise increase, unexpected luck is possible. Situations may arise and cases that require a quick approach, originality of decisions made and non-standard actions are most often resolved safely.
  • It is on such days that new ways to solve certain problems are found, rules and instructions change.
  • A good period for resolving financial issues; they will bring a stable, albeit not very large, income. Business ties are strengthening, although these days it is better to deal with old, time-tested partners.
  • Relationships and feelings are under the control of the mind; people are able to really evaluate their partner, his feelings, and his intentions.

Other influences of the month

In astrological forecast, I do not touch upon such a factor as the influence of the Moon, which can also be important and strong. You can subscribe to the daily calendar of lunar days or read it directly on the website.

Have a successful month!

Timing of video forecast by zodiac signs:

From what moment can you listen to the forecast for your zodiac sign:

Aries - 01:00
Taurus - 03:52
Gemini - 06:09
Cancer - 08:46
Leo - 11:04
Virgo - 13:11
Libra - 15:34
Scorpio - 17:56
Sagittarius - 20:26
Capricorn - 22:32
Aquarius - 24:16
Pisces - 26:31

Get the guide “Eclipses and planetary retrogrades in 2017” for free:

With respect and good luck,

In the last month of the year, all seven major planets of the solar system can be observed. The evening sky contains Saturn, Mars and the distant planets Uranus and Neptune. Luxurious Venus shines in the morning sky. During December, Mercury is visible low above the horizon in the dawn rays, and from the middle of the month you can also see bright Jupiter there.

But for detailed observations through a telescope, half of the planets are too low above the horizon. Perhaps only Uranus, Mars and Neptune, and even Venus just before sunrise are located at an acceptable altitude. The remaining planets will be strongly influenced by the Earth's atmosphere - you will find few details on their disks when observed through a telescope. It is especially annoying that this fully applies to Jupiter and Saturn, the most attractive planets from the point of view of observation.

Let's take a closer look at the visibility and positions of the planets during December. Let's start in order - with Mercury.

Mercury

It is not for nothing that the planet closest to the Sun is considered elusive: it is always in the sky somewhere near our daytime star. In those short periods when it “detaches” from the Sun in the sky, Mercury is observed in the rays of the morning or evening dawn.

December is a very favorable month for observing Mercury. Starting from December 5, the planet is observed in the mornings in the southeast, approximately 1 - 2 hours before sunrise. The easiest way to find Mercury is to start from very bright Venus, which is quite high in the sky at this time.

On the morning of December 10, Mercury is clearly visible against the background of the dawn in the southeast. Here and below the picture is shown for the latitude of Moscow. Pattern: Stellarium

The best time to observe the planet closest to the Sun is December 10 and lasts until approximately December 22-23. During this period, Mercury is observed for an hour against the background of the morning dawn. The planet will reach its maximum distance from the Sun in the sky (this distance is called maximum elongation) on December 15; The angular distance between Mercury and the Sun will be 21.5 degrees.

In mid-December 2018, Mercury rises in a still dark sky. Pattern: Stellarium

From December 17 to 25, the bright planet Jupiter is adjacent to Mercury. Which of the two planets will be more visible in the sky? In mid-December, definitely Mercury - it will be higher in the sky. But after December 20, Jupiter - the planet will be both brighter and higher in the sky than Mercury.

Mercury is moving away from Earth; As a result, Mercury's apparent diameter decreases over the course of a month, from 10 arcseconds in early December to 5″ at the end of the year. The phase of the planet, on the contrary, increases - from 0.1 to 0.9 by the end of December. This means that when observed through a telescope, Mercury will first have the shape of a sickle, in the middle of the month it will turn into a half-disk, and by the end of the year it will turn into an oval. The planet's brightness increases from 2 m to -0.5 m by mid-December, and then slowly declines.

Venus

Venus- the main planet in the December sky of 2018. As always, fantastically bright, it sparkles in the morning sky, acting as a beautiful morning star.

Venus rises about 3.5 hours before sunrise in the southeast. Against the dark background of the sky it looks like a large star of white or (at the horizon) yellowish color. Unlike stars, Venus does not twinkle, but shines with an even, calm light. Venus is so bright that it looks more like the spotlight of an oncoming plane than a star, and is a constant source of reports of UFO sightings.

Venus in the predawn sky in mid-December 2018. Please note: the planet forms an almost isosceles triangle in the sky with the bright stars Spica and Arcturus. By the way, by comparing their brilliance with the brilliance of Venus, you will get an idea of ​​how much brighter the planet is than any of the stars. Pattern: Stellarium

When the morning dawn is already blazing with might and main in the sky, Venus is still perfectly visible at an altitude of 20-25° above the horizon (the exact altitude depends on the latitude of the observation location). Even when the stars have disappeared from the sky, Venus is visible very clearly against a blue background, disappearing only after sunrise. In fact, Venus is so bright that it can be seen with the naked eye even during the day! True, to search for a planet against such a bright background, you still need some experience in daytime observations.

Already visible through binoculars phases of Venus. In early December, the planet is observed in the form of a crescent with a diameter of 40 arcseconds; by the end of the month, the phase decreases from 0.25 to 0.45, as well as the visible diameter - to 28″. By the New Year, exactly half of the disk of Venus will be illuminated. The planet's brightness decreases slightly - from -4.8 m to -4.6 m.

Mars

In December 2018 Mars observed in the evenings in the southern sky. During the month, the Red Planet moves against the background of stars in the same direction as the Sun (from west to east), traveling through the constellations of Aquarius (until December 21) and Pisces.

The best time to observe Mars is the first 3-4 hours after sunset. In the evenings, the planet is quite high in the sky in the south and southwest. Externally, Mars looks like a bright (0 m) star-shaped object reddish color. There are no other bright stars close to the planet, so you can easily find it in the sky. Be aware that on particularly windy evenings, Mars may twinkle, although not as much as the stars.

On December evenings, Mars shines alone above the southern horizon. Pattern: Stellarium

After the Great Opposition on July 27, 2018, Mars is moving away from Earth. As a result, the brightness and apparent size of the planet decreases. During December, the brightness drops from 0 m to 0.4 m, the diameter of the disk decreases from 9″ to 7.5″.

View of Mars through a small telescope in late November 2018. Photo: Masa Nakamura

Small telescopes will only show the largest features on the surface of Mars, such as the polar caps and large dark areas. To make serious observations of the planet, you will need a telescope with a lens greater than 150mm.

Jupiter

The largest planet in the solar system entered into conjunction with the Sun on November 26, after which it moved into the morning sky. December 2018 Jupiter spends in the constellations Scorpio and Ophiuchus; starting from December 10, it can be observed in the rays of the rising Sun in the southeast.

To find Jupiter in the middle of the month, use bright Venus as a guide. About an hour before sunrise, when only the brightest stars remain in the sky, mentally draw a segment from Venus to the area on the horizon where the dawn is brightest. Jupiter will be very low above the horizon near this segment. To see the planet in the first days, you will definitely need an open horizon in the southeast direction - Jupiter barely has time to rise before the final dawn, and therefore during street observations it will be successfully obscured by the surrounding houses, trees and even hills. It's great if you have binoculars - they will greatly simplify your search!

Please note: at the same time - from December 10 to 25 - Mercury will be near Jupiter! Don't confuse the planets! Until December 21, Mercury will be closer to Venus than Jupiter, and from December 22, Jupiter will be closer to Venus.

And let me remind you once again that on the morning of December 22 Jupiter and Mercury enter into a rather close conjunction- the planets will be separated in the sky by less than one degree. For four mornings in a row - from December 20 to 23 - Jupiter and Mercury will make a beautiful pair against the background of the morning dawn, when observed through binoculars, being in the same field of view!

The last days of December, Jupiter rises against a dark background of the sky, the planet is observed already two hours after Venus rises and until sunrise.

What can be seen on Jupiter through a telescope? So far, frankly speaking, not much. Certainly, disk of Jupiter, which is already visible through binoculars. The telescope will show that Jupiter will be flattened towards the poles. Also visible through the telescope are streaks on the disk and, possibly, the Great Red Spot. Some finer details will most likely be washed out by the atmosphere, which often happens with objects located low above the horizon.

The four largest satellites of Jupiter are easily observed through binoculars or a small telescope as fairly bright stars on the sides of the planet. Using telescopes with an aperture of over 80 mm, you can follow interesting phenomena in the Jupiter system - the entry of satellites into the shadow of the planet or their passage in front of the disk of the gas giant, when tiny satellites themselves cast a shadow on the planet. It makes sense to carry out such observations in the last days of December, when Jupiter will be higher above the horizon. The configurations of Jupiter's satellites for December 2018 can be found in the astronomical calendar (compiled by Alexander Kozlovsky)

The angular diameter of the largest planet in the solar system is about 31″ in December, the brightness remains at a level of -1.7 m.

Saturn

In early December Saturn observed for a short time in the southwest in the rays of the evening dawn. You can try to find Saturn with the naked eye, or better yet, with binoculars, carefully scanning the sky near the southwestern horizon. You can start searching about an hour after sunset.

The planet is best visible in southern Russia; at the latitude of Moscow and St. Petersburg it is difficult to see it, since it is very low in the sky and goes beyond the horizon before complete darkness sets in. As with Jupiter, to view Saturn you will need an open horizon towards sunset.

In early December 2018, Saturn is very low on the horizon under the Summer Triangle. Pattern: Stellarium

The apparent dimensions of the planet’s ring are on average 40″ × 15″ with an inclination of 26 degrees to the observer, the planet’s disk will be 15″. With a small telescope you can observe the ring and the Titan satellite, as well as other brighter satellites.

Uranus and Neptune

Uranus And Neptune For several years now they have been “autumn” planets, as they are in the autumn constellations of Pisces and Aquarius. These are the most distant planets in the solar system and therefore the dimmest.

The brilliance of Uranus is at the limit of visibility with the naked eye, but it is not visible in the city sky, even if you have very keen eyesight. The culprit is street light. If you want to accomplish a feat and still see the planet without the help of optics, look for a very dark and transparent sky - far in the steppe, in the taiga or in the mountains.

Under normal conditions, to find and observe Uranus, you will need star charts and a telescope. The star will serve as a guide when searching. Omicron Pisces- Uranus is 1.5 degrees northeast of it. And on December 18, the waxing Moon will be relatively close to the planet.

During the month, Uranus is observed throughout the night; You can discern the disk of the planet in a telescope with a lens of 90 mm, using a magnification of over 80 times. The brightest satellites of Uranus have a magnitude of about 13 m and are inaccessible for observations with small amateur telescopes.

Neptune even fainter than Uranus. Even through binoculars it appears as an unremarkable 8th magnitude star. There are a huge number of such luminaries in the sky, and finding Neptune among them is quite difficult. Usually, to find a planet, you cannot do without star maps. But on the evening of December 7, there will be a rare opportunity to see Neptune without time-consuming searches - Mars will be just 2 arc minutes away from it! All you have to do is point your telescope at Mars; you will find Neptune in the same field of view as the Red Planet.

On other days, look for Neptune by starting from the star Lambda Aquarius(her name is Khidor), near which there is a planet. You can take the map of Neptune’s position from the Astronomical Calendar for 2018, edited by Alexander Kozlovsky (it can be downloaded for free on the Internet) or make it yourself by printing a screenshot from any planetarium program.

Let's summarize.

The main “planetary” events in December 2018 occur in the morning sky, where the bright light sparkles in the morning Venus, and near the horizon in the rays of the morning dawn are observed Mercury And Jupiter. It will be very interesting to follow the movement of the last two planets: within just a couple of weeks they will noticeably shift relative to each other.

In the evening sky the main planet is Mars, which is observed in the evenings in the constellations Aquarius and Pisces. The two most distant planets are also located in the same constellations - Uranus And Neptune. Don't miss the close conjunction of Mars and Neptune on the evening of December 7th. Planet Saturn also visible in the evenings, but for a short time very low above the western horizon.

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Bright, large, like a heavenly diamond, Venus for more than six months it sparkled in the evening sky. In the second half of March, the planet entered into an inferior conjunction with the Sun; Moreover, the angular distance of Venus from the Sun was about 6°, which made it possible to observe it even at this time - in the evening and morning skies simultaneously. Since the end of March the planet has been observed in the morning in the east.

In the morning, Venus, of course, is not as noticeable as in the evening - few people turn to the sky at this time. Another reason is the low position of Venus in the predawn sky in temperate latitudes. So, at the latitude of Moscow, the planet rises about an hour before sunrise, and during this time it manages to rise only 8° above the horizon (at the latitude of St. Petersburg the situation is even worse). It is clear that it is also difficult to see Venus in the city due to the surrounding buildings and trees. But even if there is an open horizon in the direction of the east, you need to try hard to see the planet against a light background of the sky.

In May 2017, Venus rises about an hour before sunrise in the east. This illustration shows the position of Venus in the sky for an observer located at the latitude of Moscow. Drawing: Stellarium

Venus is truly spectacular in southern Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, where the planet rises before that as the morning dawn flares up. By the time the stars disappear from the sky, Venus will rise twice as high as in the sky of Moscow and will still shine as a fairly bright lone star.

Venus rising at the latitude of Crimea and Sochi. At these latitudes, observations of Venus in May are much more convenient, since the planet rises against a dark sky background. Drawing: Stellarium

It's good if you live in the southern regions of the former USSR! Here you can fully enjoy the views of beautiful Venus. If you have a telescope, try looking at the planet through your instrument. Do this, Venus will rise as high as possible above the horizon so that atmospheric turbulence introduces as little distortion as possible into the picture. The stars at this time will already disappear from the sky, but the Morning Star, as the ancients often called Venus, will shine brightly and motionless.

Venus a quarter of an hour before sunrise at the latitude of Crimea and Sochi. The planet is approximately twice as high above the horizon as at the same time at the latitude of Moscow. Drawing: Stellarium

Even at low magnification, such as 30x, you will notice that Venus is a crescent, similar to the Moon. The illuminated part of the planet is directed towards the Sun, that is, to the east, and the “horns” of the planet face west. Many people are surprised by the fact that Mercury and Venus - planets whose orbits are located between the Sun and Earth - exhibit illumination phases similar to those of the Moon. Therefore, the sight of these tiny “moons of the Sun” often makes a great impression on those who are just getting acquainted with the starry sky.

When will Venus be clearly visible to residents of temperate latitudes? Starting from July 2017. The end of summer, as well as September, will be the most favorable time for observing Venus throughout Russia and neighboring countries. During this time, the beautiful Morning Star will shine brightly in the pre-dawn sky for several hours each morning.

In May, in the evening sky at latitude 56 degrees, looking south, we will see -

Click on the image to expand to full size.
Of the bright planets, you can find Jupiter in the southeast, not very high above the horizon, and bright Venus in the northwest, also not very high. Jupiter has a magnitude of -2.5. He is now in the constellation Libra. Venus is at magnitude -3.9 and moves through the constellation Taurus.
If we look to the west, we will see that most of the winter constellations have already disappeared beyond the horizon. Still visible, and very low, is bright Procyon - alpha Canis Minor. Its brightness is about zero magnitude. Above it, in the same place in the west, are two bright stars: Castor (slightly higher) and Pollux (second and first magnitudes, respectively), these are the alpha and beta constellations of Gemini. The star in the northwest is Capella, alpha of the constellation Auriga. Its brightness is close to zero magnitude. At the same altitude as Castor and Pollux, but above the southwest point, one can find Regulus, the alpha of the constellation Leo. This star is slightly fainter than first magnitude. If we look south, we find Spica, Virgo's alpha, quite high above the horizon. It is to the right—to the west—of bright Jupiter and much fainter in brilliance—first magnitude. Also in the south, but high, closer to the zenith, is Arcturus, the alpha of Bootes. The brightness of this star is close to zero magnitude. This is one of the brightest stars in our sky. In the east, the autumn-summer triangle of bright stars is already beginning to rise above the horizon: Vega, Deneb and Altair. Altair is still practically on the horizon. This is the alpha of the constellation Aquila and is of first magnitude in brilliance. Vega, alpha Lyrae, is already quite high. And Deneb, alpha of the constellation Cygnus, is a little to the left and closer to the northeast point. Deneb's brightness is slightly fainter than first magnitude, and Vega's brightness rivals Arcturus in our sky - its brightness is around zero magnitude.
Now more about visibility of planets this month:
Mercury- not visible in May. Mercury moves through the constellations Cetus, Pisces, Aries and Taurus;
Venus- visible in the evenings after sunset in the west, low above the horizon. This month it moves through the constellations of Taurus and Gemini. The planet's magnitude is -3.9, and at the end of the month -4.0 magnitude. It is the brightest object in our sky, apart from the Moon and the Sun;
Mars- visible in the mornings in the southeast before sunrise, low above the horizon. The planet's brightness is growing rapidly and will vary from -0.4 to -1 magnitude. Mars moves through the constellations Sagittarius and Capricorn;
Jupiter- visible all night, in the southern part of the sky quite high above the horizon. Moves through the constellation Libra. Jupiter's brightness will be -2.5 magnitude, and then decrease slightly to -2.4 magnitude. This is the best period for the planet to be visible—Jupiter is at opposition on May 9.
Saturn- visible in the second half of the night in the southeast, then in the south, low above the horizon. The planet is moving through the constellation Sagittarius. The brightness of Saturn will gradually increase from 0.4 to 0.3 magnitude;
Uranus- not visible in May. Moves through the constellation Aries;
Neptune- in May it will become visible in the mornings before sunrise near the horizon in the southeast, very low. The brightness of Neptune is 7.9 magnitude. It moves through the constellation Aquarius.

To search for Uranus and Neptune, you need at least binoculars (and for good observations, a telescope) and a star map. Maps of the path of Uranus and Neptune and infographics on them can be found here -