What's Up in the May Night Sky?

Some of you may be feeling the pressure of the final weeks of school as exams, projects, and research papers are all piling up. My best advice for you all is to balance your time so that you don’t expend all your energy on schoolwork, or else you might burn yourself out (and I’m speaking from experience here!) One of the best hobbies to take up to take a break from your schoolwork is stargazing, and this month has many cool events lined up that are definitely worth your time!

From May 6 to 7, the Eta Aquarids shower will peak. This shower produces around 60 meteors an hour, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. For those living in the Northern Hemisphere, don’t worry because the showers will range to around 30 meteors an hour. If you’re unable to see the shower on either of these nights, don’t worry, because this shower will run from April 19 to May 28. May 6 and 7 are the best days to view this shower, only because it will be at its peak and easier to view. While the view will be breathtaking, the only downside is that you will lose a bit of sleep since the best viewing time is around midnight near the constellation Aquarius. 

The fun continues as a Full Moon will appear on May 12, which is also known as the Flower Moon. Indigenous tribes gave this name since it was around this time of the year when spring flowers appeared in large numbers. 

From May 22-23, the Moon will appear close to Saturn, Neptune, and Venus. All of these planets can be best viewed with the naked eye, especially given that the Moon will be in its waning phase, so its light won’t interfere with the planets’ lights. However, it may be best to use specialized equipment like binoculars or a telescope to spot Neptune and its features. 

May 27 is the perfect day to view stars, planets, and constellations since it will be a New Moon. The Moon is large and bright, which makes it difficult to discern stars and planets even with specialized equipment. If this still confuses you, imagine you saw your friend down a dimly lit hallway: you can barely make out their features, but you can still recognize them. Now, imagine a bright light turned on, and now you can’t see your friend that will because the light from the lamp is obstructing their view. This is similar to what the Moon does when we try to see stars–trust me, I love the Moon and all, but it sometimes gets in the way!

Last month, Mercury was at its greatest western elongation, and now on May 31, Venus will be at its greatest western elongation. The best time to view the planet will be at its highest point above the horizon in the early hours of the morning. Look towards the eastern sky before sunrise to spot it.

Works Cited:

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-current.html