8 hours, 6 minutes
Wed, May 1 at 9:05 pm – Thu, May 2 at 5:11 am
Visible tonight, May 1 – May 2, 2024
| Mercury: | From Thu 5:03 am |
|---|---|
| Venus: | Slightly difficult to see |
| Mars: | From Thu 4:36 am |
| Jupiter: | Until Wed 10:16 pm |
| Saturn: | From Thu 4:25 am |
| Uranus: | Until Wed 10:08 pm |
| Neptune: | From Thu 4:33 am |
After a Recent Acceleration, Earth’s Spin May Be Slowing Again
In 2023, for the first time in seven years, the average ‘length of day’ became longer. Latest predictions suggest this slowdown may continue into 2025. Read the full story.
Our Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above Kirkwall (Orkney Islands). The Moon and planets have been enlarged slightly for clarity. On mobile devices, tap to steer the map by pointing your device at the sky. Need some help?
Tonight's Sky in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands), May 1 – May 2, 2024 (7 planets visible)
Mercury rise and set in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
Try before sunrise.
Mercury rises shortly before sunrise, so it is very close to the horizon. This makes it very difficult to observe.
Thu, May 2 ↑5:03 am
Time:
Altitude: °
Direction: °
Venus rise and set in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
Fairly close to the Sun. Visible only after sunset.
Venus is just 9 degrees from the Sun in the sky, so it is difficult to see. Venus is visible by day, but may be hard to find.
Time:
Altitude: °
Direction: °
Mars rise and set in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
Try before sunrise.
Mars rises shortly before sunrise, so it is very close to the horizon. This makes it very difficult to observe.
Thu, May 2 ↑4:36 am
Time:
Altitude: °
Direction: °
Jupiter rise and set in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
Fairly close to the Sun. Visible only after sunset.
Jupiter is just 13 degrees from the Sun in the sky, so it is difficult to see.
Wed, May 1 ↓10:16 pm
Time:
Altitude: °
Direction: °
Saturn rise and set in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
Try before sunrise.
Saturn rises shortly before sunrise, so it is very close to the horizon. This makes it very difficult to observe.
Thu, May 2 ↑4:25 am
Time:
Altitude: °
Direction: °
Uranus rise and set in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
Very close to Sun, hard or impossible to see.
Uranus is just 11 degrees from the Sun in the sky, so it is difficult or impossible to see it.
Wed, May 1 ↓10:08 pm
Time:
Altitude: °
Direction: °
Neptune rise and set in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
Try before sunrise. Use binoculars.
Neptune rises shortly before sunrise, so it is very close to the horizon. This makes it very difficult to observe. Very faint, use binoculars.
Thu, May 2 ↑4:33 am
Time:
Altitude: °
Direction: °
Planets Visible in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
| Planetrise/Planetset, Wed, May 1, 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planet | Rise | Set | Meridian | Comment |
| Mercury | Thu 5:03 am | Thu 6:13 pm | Thu 11:38 am | Extremely difficult to see |
| Venus | Thu 5:11 am | Thu 8:01 pm | Thu 12:35 pm | Slightly difficult to see |
| Mars | Thu 4:36 am | Thu 4:36 pm | Thu 10:35 am | Very difficult to see |
| Jupiter | Wed 5:44 am | Wed 10:16 pm | Wed 2:00 pm | Slightly difficult to see |
| Saturn | Thu 4:25 am | Thu 3:00 pm | Thu 9:42 am | Very difficult to see |
| Uranus | Wed 5:36 am | Wed 10:08 pm | Wed 1:52 pm | Extremely difficult to see |
| Neptune | Thu 4:33 am | Thu 4:20 pm | Thu 10:26 am | Extremely difficult to see |
