May 4-6, 2025: The waxing moon passes Leo’s bright stars in the southern sky after sundown.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Moon and Leo
During these three evenings, the moon appears with Leo in the southern sky after sundown.
Leo is an easy constellation to recognize. We see the westward-facing Lion in silhouette. Its head is outlined by a half-dozen stars that make a backwards question mark, traditionally known as the “Sickle of Leo.”
Leo, meaning “the prince,” is at the bottom of the question mark. It is the closest star to the ecliptic where we see the sun, moon, and planets appear to move.
The Lion’s haunches and tail are dotted by a triangle to the east of the Sickle. Denebola, the tail, is the eastern star.
On the evenings of May 4-6, the waxing moon appears near the Lion. Because of the brighter moonlight use a binocular to see it.
Here’s What to See
Here’s what to see looking in the south-southwest an hour after nightfall:
- May 4: The moon is at the First Quarter phase at 8:25 a.m. Central Time, a few hours before it rises in the Americas. The slightly gibbous moon, 55% illuminated, is high in the southwest, 9.8° to the right of Regulus.
- May 5: The gibbous moon, 65% illuminated, is high in the south-southwest, 3.3° to the upper left of Regulus.
- May 6: High in the south, the moon, 74% illuminated, is over 15° to Regulus’ lower left and over 13° to Denebola’s lower right.
Look for the moon and Leo after sundown. As the moon waxes, it is farther eastward and brighter each night. On the 9th, the lunar orb appears near Spica, Virgo’s brightest star.
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