Sun, Moon, and Stars: May 2002

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

May 2002 Overview Week by Week Go to week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Major phenomena 4 Last Quarter 12 New Moon 19 First Quarter 26 Full Moon partial eclipse UT (universal time) Other Months Month February JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember Year 20072006200520042003200220012000 (available through 3/2007) Celestial Links Astronomical terms Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset Equinoxes and Solstices Eclipses in 2002 Calendar 2002 Universal Time Visit the Astronomy Center for more on the universe, the solar system, and related astronomical phenomena

May 2002—Week 1 (May 1-5)

5/4:	0000 UT, 8 pm EDT (May 3) Neptune is 4 degrees north of the Moon. 0400 UT, 12 am EDT (midnight) Mercury is at its greatest elongation, or angular distance from the Sun, at 21 degrees east of the Sun. 0700 UT, 3 am EDT LAST QUARTER 1400 UT, 10 am EDT Venus is 6 degrees north of Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. 1700 UT, 1 pm EDT Mars is 2 degrees north of Saturn.
5/5:	1000 UT, 6 am EDT Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon.
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May 2002—Week 2 (May 6-12)

5/7:	1800 UT, 2 pm EDT Venus is 2 degrees north of Saturn. 1900 UT, 3 pm EDT The Moon is at its apogee, or farthest point from Earth in its monthly orbit.
5/10:	2100 UT, 5 pm EDT Venus is 0 degrees 3 minutes north of Mars.
5/12:	1100 UT, 7 am EDT NEW MOON
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May 2002—Week 3 (May 13-19)

5/13:	1400 UT, 10 am EDT Neptune appears to be motionless in the sky as its direct motion changes to apparent backward, or retrograde, motion. 2100 UT, 5 pm EDT Mercury is 3 degrees north of the Moon.
5/14:	0800 UT, 4 am EDT Saturn is 1 degree 1 minute south of the Moon. Saturn is occulted, or hidden from view, by the Moon. 1900 UT, 3 pm EDT Mars is 0 degrees 6 minutes north of the Moon. Mars is occulted, or hidden from view, by the Moon. 2300 UT, 7 pm EDT Venus is 0 degrees 8 minutes north of the Moon. Venus is occulted, or hidden from view, by the Moon.
5/15:	1200 UT, 8 am EDT Vesta, the third-largest asteroid, is 1 degree 1 minute south of the Moon. The asteroid is occulted, or hidden from view, by the Moon.
5/16:	0500 UT, 1 am EDT Mercury appears to be motionless in the sky as its direct motion changes to apparent backward, or retrograde, motion. 1200 UT, 8 am EDT Jupiter is 2 degrees south of the Moon.
5/19:	2000 UT, 4 pm EDT FIRST QUARTER
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May 2002—Week 4 (May 20-26

5/23:	1600 UT, 12 pm EDT (noon) The Moon is at its perigee, or closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.
5/26:	1600 UT, 12 pm (noon) FULL MOON Partial eclipse [more about eclipses in 2002]
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May 2002—Week 5 (May 27-31

5/27:	0700 UT, 3 am EDT Mercury is in inferior conjunction, that is, the Sun and the Earth are aligned on opposite sides of Mercury.
5/31:	0800 UT, 4 am EDT Neptune is 4 degrees north of the Moon.
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