These Are the Largest Sky Watching Events in May
The May skywatching calendar includes planetary gazing, stargazing and peak meteor showers, so you have plenty of reasons to get outside and look up this month. This is what will happen in the night sky.
May 3: Mars and Moon.
This month’s first quarter Moon will appear near Mars on the evening of May 3rd. Look at the western sky in the first half of the night. You may also be able to see the Beehive Cluster (Messier 44) , a cluster of 1,000 stars about 600 light-years away, illuminated by the glow of the Red Planet.
May 5: Eta Aquarid Peak.
The Eta Aquarids meteor shower has been active since mid-April, but its peak activity occurs on the night of May 5-6. This event is the result of Earth passing through debris left behind by Halley’s Comet (which is also responsible for the Orionids in October). The shower is best viewed in the southern hemisphere, but viewers in the north can still see 10–30 meteors per hour.
According to Space.com , the best time to encounter Eta Aquarid Peak is between 2 a.m. and dawn local time. As always, you need to choose a location that is as dark and free of light pollution as possible and give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust.
May 12: Flower Moon
The May full moon is known as the Flower Moon and will occur on May 12th. Like April’s Pink Moon, the Flower Moon is a micromoon: 5% smaller and 10% fainter than a normal full moon as it occurs at its farthest point from Earth.
Planetary events in May
Planet pairings for May include Venus and Saturn, which can be seen close to each other, low in the eastern sky, early in the morning at the beginning of the month. In the evening, a few hours after sunset, look west to see Mars and Jupiter.
For observers, Corona Northern will be visible throughout the month in the eastern sky during the first half of the night. The dark skies on the night of May 26 (thanks to the new moon) can be especially useful for finding constellations. You’ll also be able to catch two globular clusters—closely packed stars—on May 11 and 28, when Messier 5 and Messier 4 will be in prime position.