Today is the date of Beltane, an ancient Celtic festival that was celebrated with bonfires. In Celtic culture, the date marked the beginning of summer, not the middle of spring as it does today. Some of Beltane's traditions are preserved as May Day.
Weekly Stargazing Tips
Provided by StarDate.org. Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
May 1: Beltane
May 2: Moon and Saturn
The planet Saturn is in the dawn sky now. It looks like a bright golden star. Unlike a star, though, it doesn't twinkle - its light holds steady. Tomorrow, it will stand close to the left of the Moon. The Moon will pass between Saturn and Mars the next morning.
May 3: Moon and Planets
Mars stands close to the lower left of the Moon at dawn tomorrow. The planet looks like a fairly bright orange star. The planet Saturn is about the same distance to the upper right of the Moon.
May 4: More Moon and Planets
The planet the next few mornings. The planet is passing farthest from the Sun, and it looks like a fairly bright star. Tomorrow, it's to the lower left of the Moon during twilight, with Mars and Saturn to the upper right of the Moon.
May 5: Leo
Leo, the lion, is high in the south sky at nightfall. It consists of two patterns of stars. A backward question mark represents the lion's head and mane, while a triangle of stars to the left forms the lion's hindquarters and tail.
May 6: Hercules
Hercules the strongman is in the east and northeast at nightfall and swings high overhead during the night. Hercules is the Roman version of Heracles, a son of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods of Olympus.
May 7: Hercules Cluster
M13, the Hercules Cluster, is about 25,000 light-years away and contains several hundred thousand stars. It is low in the northeast at nightfall, along the line that connects the top two stars in the Keystone, a lopsided square that outlines the strongman's torso.