Astronomy lovers, May is your Bae! Apologies in advance for that cliched rhyme, but this year, the month of May has brought with it some amazing stargazing moments. Filled with eclipses, meteor showers and the last supermoon of the year, it seems like an exclusive festival for the sky watchers.
Celestial Events In The Month Of May
Here, we’ve collated a list of some amazing celestial events that you can witness from your balcony and rooftops!
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower: As per NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, May 5 will see an amazing meteor show, the source of which is the Halley’s Comet. While the Eta Aquarids could produce 20-30 meteors per hour, the moon with its bright light is likely to interfere. Hence you have a one-hour window between 4:30 am and 5:3o am on May 5 to watch the meteor shower. The meteors in this shower will be fast and faint, so remember to keep your eyes fixed on the sky.
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The Last Supermoon of 2020 (Super Flower Moon): The last supermoon of the year will be seen on May 7. It is also known as the Super Flower Moon, because it comes at a time when the spring is in full bloom. According to NASA, this last Supermoon will appear to be the biggest and will have attained peak illumination at 04:15 pm on May 7. At this time, it will also be at a distance of 361,184 kilometres from Earth.
So, if you’ve missed the previous stunning supermoons, here is your chance to catch the last one for the year. The next full moon supermoon will only take place next year in April 2021.
Jupiter And The Moon: The moon and Jupiter will have a close encounter on the morning of May 12. You can view this celestial happening from a bit after midnight to dawn through a telescope and even binoculars.
Mars and The Moon: On May 14, you will be able to see the last quarter of the moon approach Mars just before dawn. The moon and Mars will come in close contact and one would be able to spot this celestial event with your naked eyes. How cool is that!
That is not all folks! Some really cool celestial events will take place in the months of June and July too! We shall keep you updated. Till then, Happy Stargazing!
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