Jupiter although fading remains a beautiful evening object in the constellation of Leo. After sunset the giant planet can be seen high in the sky above the south-western (Northern Hemisphere) or north-eastern horizon (Southern Hemisphere). It's impossible to miss Jupiter, with an apparent magnitude of -2.2 the planet is more than twice as bright as Sirius the brightest night time star. It's also brighter than all other planets except for Venus, although at the moment slightly fainter Mars does rival Jupiter in brightness. However, it's impossible to confuse the two planets. Mars rises just after sunset and is a deep orange/red in colour compared to brilliant white Jupiter which is high in the sky as soon as it's dark enough. Both planets dominate their surrounding region of sky.
On the evenings of May 14th and 15th a lovely pairing occurs when the waxing gibbous Moon passes just a couple of degrees south of Jupiter.
Jupiter during May 2016 - pdf format (credit:- freestarcharts)
See also