Caserta Planetarium and May 2026 Lunar‑Planet Conjunctions Highlight Astronomy

The Planetario di Caserta will host a free, reservation‑only event on 15 May 2026 at 19:30 that blends science, poetry and remembrance. The programme includes a guided tour of the museum’s external spaces tracing humanity’s measurement of time, a poetic reading by Lello Agretti from his collection Senza orario, and an immersive dome show on astronomical cycles. The evening also honors the late professor Luigi Antonio Smaldone, the museum’s long‑time scientific curator, with a petition to rename the planetarium after him.

Astronomy enthusiasts can also observe two striking “celestial kisses” in early May. On 13 May, a thin waning crescent Moon will appear near Saturn just before sunrise, and on 15 May a similar Moon will align with Mars before dawn. Both events are visible to the naked eye from dark‑sky locations, with binoculars or a small telescope enhancing the view of Saturn’s rings or Mars’s disc. A further conjunction of Venus and Jupiter is expected between 18–20 May, visible after sunset.