May Night Sky: 7 Constellations & Their Brightest Stars
May brings some interesting constellations into view, as well as their bright stars and stunning deep-sky objects. In this guide, you’ll learn what to look for and when. Use the free Star Walk 2 app to easily find them in your night sky.
Contents
May constellations
To see the constellations listed below, start looking at about 10 p.m. local time. Their exact positions in the sky vary depending on where you are and what time you’re looking at them.
To easily locate any star or constellation in your sky, use the free astronomy app Star Walk 2.
Remember, constellations in the west will set first, so if you're planning a long stargazing session, it's best to start with the objects near the western horizon. They’ll disappear from view first as the night goes on.
Also, the lower an object is in the sky, the more the Earth’s atmosphere distorts and dims it. That’s why it’s better to observe stars and deep-sky objects while they’re still high above the horizon, where atmospheric distortion is minimized, providing a clearer and brighter view.
Most of these constellations are visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. For your convenience, we provide the range of latitudes where a constellation can be seen.
Note that constellations are listed according to how prominently they appear in the sky — from the brightest to the faintest:
- ☆☆☆: a constellation is very bright and easy to see.
- ☆☆: a constellation is moderately bright and can be seen with some effort.
- ☆: you might need a pair of binoculars to see a constellation.
Regarding deep-sky objects:
- 👀 means that an object is visible to the naked eye.
- 🔭 means that an object is visible via a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
Constellation best seen in May: Star Map
Crux
- Brightness: ☆☆☆
- Visible from: 20°N to 90°S
- Brightest star: Acrux (mag 0.9)
- Best deep-sky objects: Jewel Box 👀 (mag 4.2), Coalsack Nebula 👀 (magnitude not applicable)
Crux is the smallest of the 88 constellations, covering just 68 square degrees — but despite its size, it’s one of the most recognizable. Its distinctive cross-shaped asterism makes it easy to spot in the night sky.
Crux holds cultural and mythological significance throughout the Southern Hemisphere. It is especially important in Australia and New Zealand, where it is circumpolar — meaning it never sets below the horizon.
Crux features one of the most fascinating deep-sky objects — the Coalsack Nebula. This dark nebula appears as a prominent black patch against the bright backdrop of the southern Milky Way and is easily visible to the naked eye from dark-sky locations in the Southern Hemisphere.
In ancient times, Crux was considered part of Centaurus. Although its stars were marked on early celestial globes, Crux wasn’t recognized as a separate constellation until 1679, when French astronomer Augustin Royer formally separated Crux from Centaurus.
Virgo
- Brightness: ☆☆☆
- Visible from: 80°N to 80°S
- Brightest star: Spica (mag 1.0)
- Best deep-sky objects: M87 🔭 (mag 8.6), the Sombrero Galaxy 🔭 (mag 8.0)
Virgo is one of the 12 zodiac constellations and the second-largest constellation in the sky (after Hydra), covering 1,294 square degrees. It’s also the largest of the zodiac constellations.
Because the ecliptic passes through Virgo, you can often spot its brightest star, Spica, shining close to the Moon. In May 2025, this will happen on May 10, when a nearly full Moon will pass just 0°24′ from Spica, a striking blue-white, 1st-magnitude star near Virgo’s center. A lunar occultation of Spica will also be visible from Oceania and southwestern Chile.
Virgo is home to thousands of galaxies. Among the most notable:
- M87, the largest galaxy in the Virgo Cluster — its diameter is at least five times that of the Milky Way.
- The Sombrero Galaxy, named for its distinctive shape that resembles a sombrero hat.
Centaurus
- Brightness: ☆☆☆
- Visible from: 30°N to 90°S
- Brightest star: Alpha Centauri (mag -0.3)
- Best deep-sky objects: Omega Centauri 👀 (mag 3.7), NGC 3766 👀 (mag 5.3), Centaurus A 🔭 (mag 6.8)
Centaurus is the 9th largest constellation in the sky, spanning 1,060 square degrees. However, it’s difficult to see from much of the Northern Hemisphere due to its southern position.
Centaurus stands out for its large number of stars visible to the naked eye — it has 281 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5, more than any other constellation. It also hosts two remarkable deep-sky objects:
- Omega Centauri, the brightest globular cluster seen from Earth and the largest known in the Milky Way.
- Centaurus A, one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky.
The constellation’s two brightest stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri, serve as helpful “pointer stars” for locating the nearby Crux constellation.
Corvus
- Brightness: ☆☆
- Visible from: 60°N to 90°S
- Brightest star: Gienah (mag 2.6)
- Best deep-sky objects: Lawn Sprinkler Nebula 🔭 (mag 10.9), Antennae Galaxies 🔭 (mag 11.2)
Corvus is a small constellation, covering 184 square degrees. Its four main stars — Delta, Gamma, Epsilon, and Beta Corvi — form a distinct quadrilateral asterism known as “Spica’s Spanker” or “the Sail.” Though the individual stars aren't especially bright, they stand out in a relatively dim region of the sky, making the shape easy to recognize. Gamma and Delta Corvi also serve as pointer stars to help locate Spica, the brightest star in Virgo.
While Corvus doesn’t have many bright stars or deep-sky objects, it is notable for hosting the Antennae Galaxies — a spectacular pair of interacting galaxies. These galaxies likely give us an idea of what the future collision between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy may look like.
Musca
- Brightness: ☆☆
- Visible from: 10°N to 90°S
- Brightest star: Alpha Muscae (mag 2.7)
- Best deep-sky objects: NGC 4833 🔭 (mag 7.8), Spiral Planetary Nebula 🔭 (mag 8.2)
Musca ranks as the 77th largest constellation, covering 138 square degrees. Located near Crux, it’s visible year-round from the Southern Hemisphere and lies against the rich backdrop of the Milky Way.
The constellation contains several fairly bright stars, including Alpha Muscae, the brightest, at magnitude 2.7 and Beta Muscae, just over one degree away, with a magnitude of 3.05.
Although Musca contains no Messier objects, it does host a couple of notable deep-sky sights:
- The Spiral Planetary Nebula, which resembles the letter S when viewed through a telescope.
- NGC 4833, a globular cluster filled with some of the oldest stars in the Milky Way.
Canes Venatici
- Brightness: ☆☆
- Visible from: 90°N to 40°S
- Brightest star: Cor Caroli (mag 2.8)
- Best deep-sky objects: M3 🔭 (mag 6.4), the Whirlpool Galaxy 🔭 (mag 8.4)
Canes Venatici is a faint constellation that ranks 38th in size, spanning 465 square degrees. While its stars are not especially bright — Cor Caroli, the brightest, shines at magnitude 2.8 — Canes Venatici is home to several fascinating objects. Among them is La Superba (Y Canum Venaticorum), one of the reddest stars visible to the naked eye. Its deep color stands out through binoculars.
The constellation also hosts the famous Whirlpool Galaxy, a face-on spiral galaxy and the first to reveal its spiral structure to observers on Earth. It is beautiful when seen through telescopes and appears dramatic in photographs. And although you can’t see it, one of the most massive known black holes TON 618 — with a mass of 66 billion Suns — also lies in this constellation. So next time you look at Canes Venatici, remember something extreme is lurking in that quiet area of the sky.
Coma Berenices
- Brightness: ☆
- Visible from: 90°N to 60°S
- Brightest star: Beta Comae Berenices (mag 4.3)
- Best deep-sky objects: Coma Star Cluster 👀 (mag 1.8), M53 🔭 (mag 7.6)
The stars in Coma Berenices aren’t very bright, so you’ll need a dark sky to see them clearly. But the constellation is not hard to find — it lies between Leo, Ursa Major, and Virgo. Covering 386 square degrees, it ranks as the 42nd largest constellation and is rich in interesting deep-sky objects.
One of the best is the Coma Star Cluster, which can look like a faint sparkle in the sky. Its stars form a soft “V” shape when the constellation is rising. If you can’t see it with your eyes, try using binoculars. The cluster is quite large in the sky — about ten times the width of the Full Moon.
Coma Berenices is also the radiant point of a small meteor shower called the Coma Berenicids, which peaks around December 16. The meteors are very fast, zooming through the sky at up to 65 kilometers per second (40 mi/s).
Bonus: Great Diamond asterism
The Great Diamond, also known as the Diamond of Virgo, is a large asterism that can be seen in the evening sky during May from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It’s made up of four bright stars:
- Cor Caroli (Alpha Canum Venaticorum), the brightest star in Canes Venatici
- Denebola (Beta Leonis), the second-brightest star in Leo
- Spica (Alpha Virginis), the brightest star in Virgo
- Arcturus (Alpha Boötis), the brightest star in Boötes
The Great Diamond covers a large area of the sky — it’s even bigger than the Big Dipper. Its three stars (Spica, Denebola, and Arcturus) also form a smaller asterism called the Spring Triangle.
Constellations to see during other months
Best constellations from past months
Most constellations are visible for longer than one month. Just because May is the best month for Virgo, it doesn’t mean that it will disappear in June. Most of the nicest objects of one season could be found in the western sky even three months later.
- January: Canis Major — Orion — Auriga — Taurus — Gemini — Perseus
- February: Orion — Canis Major — Canis Minor — Lepus — Monoceros — Taurus — Gemini — Auriga
- March: Cancer — Canis Minor — Carina — Lynx — Puppis — Pyxis — Vela — Volans
- April: Leo — Ursa Major — Hydra — Crater — Leo Minor — Chamaeleon — Antlia — Sextans
Best constellations by seasons (Northern Hemisphere)
- Circumpolar (visible all year): Ursa Major — Ursa Minor — Cassiopeia — Cepheus — Draco
- Winter: Orion — Canis Major — Taurus
- Spring: Leo — Virgo — Ursa Major
- Summer: Cygnus — Lyra — Aquila
- Autumn: Cassiopeia — Pegasus — Andromeda
Best constellations by seasons (Southern Hemisphere)
- Circumpolar (visible all year): Carina — Crux — Centaurus — Triangulum Australe
- Winter: Scorpius — Sagittarius — Ophiuchus
- Spring: Tucana — Aquarius — Cetus
- Summer: Hydra — Eridanus — Puppis
- Autumn: Crux — Centaurus — Carina
Bottom line
May is a spectacular time for stargazing, with bright constellations visible from both hemispheres. Use this guide and the Star Walk 2 app to make the most of your night sky experience!
What else to see in the sky in May 2025?
