Star Almanack
Alexander Ferrari Miller

ISO 2026-W21

ISO dates: 2026-W21-1 through 2026-W21-7

Civil dates: May 18, 2026 – May 24, 2026

Notation:

Calendar

DateZodiac dayEvents
Mon, May 18, 2026♉ 29
NGC 4605, galaxy in Ursa Major — Telescope V 10.8 — Finest NGC — Northern Spring
M58 — Telescope 10 — Tropical Spring
M68 — Telescope 8 — Southern Spring
Finest NGC 48 / NGC 4605 · MCG 10-18-74 — Telescope 11 — Northern Spring
M104 — Telescope 8 — Tropical Spring
Tue, May 19, 2026♉ 30
C98, NGC 4609, open cluster in Crux — Binoculars V 6.9 — Southern Spring
γ Cen — Naked eye 2 — Southern Spring
M59 — Telescope 10 — Tropical Spring
C32 / NGC 4631 · Whale Galaxy / Finest NGC 64 / NGC 4631 · Whale Galaxy — Telescope 9 — Northern Spring
C98 / NGC 4609 — Telescope 7 — Southern Spring
M60 — Telescope 9 — Tropical Spring
Finest NGC 65 / NGC 4656 · Hockey Stick or Crowbar — Telescope 10 — Northern Spring
Wed, May 20, 2026♉ 31
Coma Berenices center — Constellation — Binoculars V 4.3 — Tropical Spring
C52, NGC 4697, elliptical galaxy in Virgo — Telescope V 9.3 — Tropical Spring
NGC 4699, galaxy in Virgo — Telescope V 10.4 — Finest NGC — Tropical Spring
β Mus — Naked eye 3 — Antarctic Spring
Mimosa (β Cru) — Naked eye 1 — Southern Spring
C52 / NGC 4697 — Telescope 9 — Tropical Spring
Finest NGC 83 / NGC 4699 · MCG -1-33-13 — Telescope 10 — Tropical Spring
Thu, May 21, 2026♊ 1
C99, Coalsack, Coalsack Nebula, dark nebula in Crux — Southern Spring
NGC 4725, galaxy in Coma Berenices — Telescope V 9.9 — Finest NGC — Northern Spring
NGC 4762, galaxy in Virgo — Telescope V 11.1 — Finest NGC — Tropical Spring
♊ Sun enters Gemini — 00:36:44 UTC
Finest NGC 73 / NGC 4725 · MCG 4-30-22 — Telescope 10 — Northern Spring
M94 — Telescope 8 — Northern Spring
Finest NGC 84 / NGC 4762 · MCG 2-33-33 — Telescope 11 — Tropical Spring
C99 / Coalsack · Coalsack Nebula — Telescope — Southern Spring
Fri, May 22, 2026♊ 2
C94 / NGC 4755 · Jewel Box Cluster — Telescope 4 — Southern Spring
Alioth (ε UMa) — Naked eye 2 — Northern Spring
α1 CVn — Binoculars 6 — Northern Spring
Cor Caroli (α2 CVn) — Naked eye 3 — Northern Spring
M64 — Telescope 9 — Tropical Spring
Sat, May 23, 2026♊ 3
M64, Black Eye Galaxy, spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices — Telescope V 8.5 — Tropical Spring
C35, NGC 4889, elliptical galaxy in Coma Berenices — Telescope V 11.4 — Northern Spring
C105, NGC 4833, globular cluster in Musca — Binoculars V 7.3 — Antarctic Spring
🌓 First Quarter — 11:10:58 UTC
C105 / NGC 4833 — Telescope 7 — Antarctic Spring
C35 / NGC 4889 — Telescope 11 — Northern Spring
Sun, May 24, 2026♊ 4

Weekly Solar-System Ephemeris

Snapshot: Week begins May 18, 2026, 00:00 UTC.

(-90° to +90°; defaults +45°, 21:00 LAT)

Notation:
Body☉︎☽︎☿︎♀︎♂︎♃︎♄︎
Ecliptic♉︎ 27°05′
β +0°00′		♊︎ 13°44′
β +4°57′		♊︎ 1°14′
β +0°44′		♊︎ 28°45′
β +1°34′		♈︎ 29°18′
β −0°45′		♋︎ 21°33′
β +0°24′		♈︎ 10°57′
β −2°13′
ObservingNight☉︎☉︎Naked eye -3.9Naked eye 1.3Naked eye -1.9Naked eye 0.9
Rise04:3204:5904:4206:2003:2508:1402:53
Set19:2821:1619:5122:1016:5723:3415:17

Extended targets:

Body⚳︎♅︎♆︎♇︎
Ecliptic♉︎ 25°29′
β −3°24′		♊︎ 1°15′
β −0°10′		♈︎ 3°45′
β −1°20′		♒︎ 5°29′
β −4°06′
Observing☉︎☉︎Telescope 7.8TelescopeTelescope 14.5
Rise04:4804:4802:3300:33
Set19:0619:4714:4109:20

β = ecliptic latitude (+ north, − south).
Rise and set are Local Apparent Time for the selected latitude.
Naked-eye observing uses the Sun’s altitude at the selected Monday observer time: Daylight (Sun ≥ −0.833°), Civil twilight (−0.833° to −6°), Nautical twilight (−6° to −12°), Astronomical twilight (−12° to −18°), and Night (below −18°).
Solar Glare identifies a body too close to the Sun when the sky-state rule does not already supersede its naked-eye classification.
The Sun’s observing status uses this same five-state sky classification.

Notation:

Planet Finder

Planet Finder — Greek / Symbols
Greek / Symbols
Planet Finder — English
English
Planet Finder — Mixed Learner
Mixed Learner

Sky Notes

Kilroy: Sky Notes · generated 2026-10-22 04:11:29 UTC

View:

ISO 2026-W21 runs from May 18 through May 24. Mercury and Uranus are separated by about 0.0° in geocentric ecliptic longitude at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot.

Naked eye: 🌓 First Quarter — 11:10:58 UTC. Moderate moonlight makes timing and local sky position important for faint targets. Use Gamma Cen, β Mus, Mimosa, Alioth, Cor Caroli as the week’s fixed-sky framework.

Bright Star in Centaurus: A Beacon in the Night Sky — An exploration of a notable stellar object identified through multiple astronomical catalogs.

Beta Mus: A Distant Beacon in the Southern Sky — Discover the characteristics and significance of Beta Mus, a notable star in the constellation Mus.

Mimosa: A Bright Beacon in the Southern Cross — An overview of the prominent star known as Mimosa, a key feature of the constellation Centaurus and part of the iconic Southern Cross asterism.

Alioth: The Bright Star of the Big Dipper's Handle — A closer look at Alioth, a luminous star that anchors the famous asterism and guides celestial navigation.

Cor Caroli: The Bright Heart of Canes Venatici — A luminous guide star nestled within the constellation Canes Venatici, enchanting stargazers with its distinctive brilliance.

Planets: Moon: In solar glare; magnitude -5.8; direct motion; 2.3% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Venus in ecliptic longitude May 19 01:49 UTC. Conjunction with Jupiter in ecliptic longitude May 20 13:26 UTC. Mercury: In solar glare; magnitude -2.0; direct motion; 98.5% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Uranus in ecliptic longitude May 18 00:10 UTC. Venus: Naked eye; magnitude -3.9; direct motion; 83.6% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude May 19 01:49 UTC. Mars: Naked eye; magnitude 1.3; direct motion; 97.1% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Ceres: In solar glare; magnitude 8.7; direct motion; 100.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Jupiter: Naked eye; magnitude -1.9; direct motion; 99.4% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude May 20 13:26 UTC. Saturn: Naked eye; magnitude 0.9; direct motion; 99.9% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Uranus: In solar glare; magnitude 5.8; direct motion; 100.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Solar conjunction in ecliptic longitude May 22 14:26 UTC. Conjunction with Mercury in ecliptic longitude May 18 00:10 UTC. Neptune: Telescope; magnitude 7.8; direct motion; 100.0% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Pluto: Substantial telescope; magnitude 14.5; retrograde motion; 100.0% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot.

Binoculars: Trace the charted figure of CVn, then identify Alpha1 CVn at its plotted position.

Alpha1 CVn: A Bright Beacon in the Constellation of Canes Venatici — An exploration of the star's characteristics and its place in the night sky.

Small telescope: M58: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; M68: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; MCG 10-18-74: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; Sombrero Galaxy: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; M59: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; Whale Galaxy: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; NGC 4609: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; M60: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; Hockey Stick or Crowbar: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; NGC 4697: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; MCG -1-33-13: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; MCG 4-30-22: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; M94: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; MCG 2-33-33: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; Jewel Box Cluster: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; Black Eye Galaxy: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; NGC 4833: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; NGC 4889: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance

M58: A Spiral Galaxy in Virgo Unveiled — Discover the characteristics and significance of M58, a prominent galaxy in the Virgo constellation.

M68: A Hidden Jewel in Hydra's Stellar Crown — Discover the intriguing globular cluster M68, a densely packed star gathering in the constellation Hydra, offering a glimpse into the galaxy's ancient past.

Unveiling MCG 10-18-74: A Galaxy in Ursa Major — Exploring the characteristics and significance of this intriguing celestial galaxy.

The Sombrero Galaxy: A Celestial Enigma in Virgo — An exploration of M104, a striking example of a spiral galaxy with a prominent dust lane and luminous core.

Discovering M59: A Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo — An enduring celestial landmark, M59 offers astronomers a glimpse into the structure and composition of elliptical galaxies in the Virgo constellation.

The Whale Galaxy: A Majestic Spiral Wonder in Canes Venatici — An enduring celestial spectacle, the Whale Galaxy offers astronomers a glimpse into the grandeur of spiral galaxy structures.

Exploring the Open Cluster in the Constellation Crux — A comprehensive look at one of the fascinating stellar groupings within the southern skies.

M60: A Giant Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo — Discover the grandeur of M60, a prominent elliptical galaxy that showcases the majesty of the Virgo constellation.

Hockey Stick in CVn: A Fascinating Galaxy Candidate — Exploring the intriguing possibilities of a mysterious galaxy known as the 'Hockey Stick' in Canes Venatici.

Unveiling the Mysteries of the Virgo E4G Galaxy Group — A detailed exploration of a notable yet less understood fixed astronomical object within the Virgo constellation.

Unveiling MCG -1-33-13: A Galaxy in the Constellation Virgo — Exploring the characteristics and significance of a distant galaxy that enriches our understanding of the universe.

MCG 4-30-22: A Distant Galaxy in the Constellation Com — An overview of MCG 4-30-22, its celestial context, and its significance within the galaxy catalog.

M94: A Spiral Galaxy in Canes Venatici — Discover the structure and significance of one of the prominent galaxies in the constellation Canes Venatici.

Unveiling MCG 2-33-33: A Galaxy in the Constellation Virgo — An overview of the galaxy cataloged as MCG 2-33-33, highlighting its celestial context and scientific interest.

The Jewel Box Cluster: A Stellar Ornament in Crux — An enduring open cluster celebrated for its striking beauty and rich stellar population.

The Black Eye Galaxy: A Cosmic Mystery in the Constellation Coma Bleiades — An Overview of Messier 64, its striking appearance, and its place in the universe.

The Globular Cluster in Mus: A Celestial Treasure — Discover the timeless beauty of this ancient stellar gathering in the constellation Mus.

Exploring Caldwell C-35: A Deep-Sky Wonder in Hercules — An overview of Caldwell C-35, a fascinating deep-sky object located in the Hercules constellation, highlighting its features and scientific significance.

Substantial telescope: No fixed-sky Calendar object is classified as requiring a substantial telescope this week.

Other objects listed this week: None

Mercury

Mercury: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 04:42; sets 19:51 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -2.0. The disk is 98.5% illuminated (gibbous). It is 4.2° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 2.180° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Aldebaran, 10.9° away. Uranus is 0.9° away at the snapshot. Conjunction with Uranus in ecliptic longitude May 18 00:10 UTC. Mercury: 10.9° from Aldebaran in the Pathfinder.

Venus

Venus: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 10.0° above the horizon. Rises 06:20; sets 22:10 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -3.9. The disk is 83.6% illuminated (gibbous). It is 31.7° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 1.196° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Elnath, 6.9° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude May 19 01:49 UTC. Venus: 6.9° from Elnath in the Pathfinder.

Moon

Moon: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 04:59; sets 21:16 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -5.8. The disk is 2.3% illuminated (waxing crescent). It is 17.3° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 15.232° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Elnath, 9.2° away. Conjunction with Venus in ecliptic longitude May 19 01:49 UTC. Conjunction with Jupiter in ecliptic longitude May 20 13:26 UTC. Moon: 9.2° from Elnath in the Pathfinder.

Mars

Mars: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 32.3° below the horizon. Rises 03:25; sets 16:57 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 1.3. The disk is 97.1% illuminated (gibbous). It is 27.8° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.754° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Alrescha, 8.3° away. Mars: 8.3° from Alrescha in the Pathfinder.

Jupiter

Jupiter: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 24.8° above the horizon. Rises 08:14; sets 23:34 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -1.9. The disk is 99.4% illuminated (nearly full). It is 54.5° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.170° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Pollux, 6.6° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude May 20 13:26 UTC. Jupiter: 6.6° from Pollux in the Pathfinder.

Saturn

Saturn: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 42.8° below the horizon. Rises 02:53; sets 15:17 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 0.9. The disk is 99.9% illuminated (nearly full). It is 46.2° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.099° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Alrescha, 19.9° away. Saturn: 19.9° from Alrescha in the Pathfinder.

Uranus

Uranus: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 04:48; sets 19:47 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 5.8. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 4.2° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.058° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Aldebaran, 10.4° away. Mercury is 0.9° away at the snapshot. Solar conjunction in ecliptic longitude May 22 14:26 UTC. Conjunction with Mercury in ecliptic longitude May 18 00:10 UTC. Uranus: 10.4° from Aldebaran in the Pathfinder.

Neptune

Neptune: telescope at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 44.6° below the horizon. Rises 02:33; sets 14:41 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 7.8. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 53.4° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.025° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Fumalsamakah, 18.0° away. Neptune: 18.0° from Fumalsamakah in the Pathfinder.

Ceres

Ceres: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 04:48; sets 19:06 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 8.7. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 3.8° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.410° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Menkar, 14.1° away. Ceres: 14.1° from Menkar in the Pathfinder.

Pluto

Pluto: substantial telescope at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 36.3° below the horizon. Rises 00:33; sets 09:20 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 14.5. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 111.5° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is retrograde at 0.005° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Dabih, 8.7° away. Pluto: 8.7° from Dabih in the Pathfinder.

Chart

ISO2026-W21-chart.png — chart slot.