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From Flower Moon To Meteor Showers, This May Is Filled With Unmissable 4 Celestial Events!

Earthlings, witness these best celestial events for May 2024!

by Ankita Mazumdar
From Flower Moon To Meteor Showers, This May Is Filled With Unmissable 4 Celestial Events!

The sky is indeed full of stars! We don’t know if mercury is in retrograde or not but we do know about some awesome celestial events that you must keep an eye out for this May 2024! We are true astrophiles, truly madly and crazily in love with the stars, celestial bodies and astronomy. And if you are someone who is fascinated by gazing at the stars, planets and galaxies and capturing magnificent and heavenly events as well, then get your telescopes ready because outer space rocks!

This May, Do Not Miss These Breathtaking 4 Celestial Events

1. Earthshine

You may experience Earthshine in the eastern sky before sunrise, so you have to be up and about before everyone else to witness this phenomenal celestial event in May. Earthshine is basically when sunlight falls on the earth’s surface and reflects the dark portion of the moon, illuminating it. With the sunlight reflected twice, both from the moon and the earth, the light is extremely dimmer here than in the actual lit section of the moon. This dim light is termed ‘ashen glow’ or ‘the old Moon in the new Moon’s arms’.

Dates: Before sunrise 3-6 May; at night 11-12 May

2. The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower

Have you ever witnessed a meteor shower? If not, mark your calendars! If you want to witness the entire Eta Aquarids showers, then the southern hemisphere is the best zone. Do not worry if you are in the northern hemisphere; it receives half of its meteor showers as well. Eta Aquarids are a remarkable celestial event in which a large number of meteors, formed by dust particles from Halley’s Comet, enter the earth’s atmosphere every hour. This May, Eta Aquarids showers will radiate from the constellation Aquarius.

Dates: 6-7 May

Also Read: Taj Mahal To Colosseum, Book Flights For World’s Most Visited 8 UNESCO Heritage Sites

3. Mercury’s Greatest Elongation

The advisable time to see Mercury with the naked eye is within the period of its greatest elongation. The greatest elongation occurs when the planet is the farthest distance from the Sun when seen from the Earth. Since Mercury is the planet closest to the sun in our solar system, this celestial event occurs after about four months. Just before sunrise, Mercury will reach its highest point on its greatest western elongation. So, keep an eye out for the low region above the horizon in the eastern sky. Restrict looking up when the sun is above the horizon.

Dates: 9 May 

4. Flower Moon

In honour of spring flowers and wildflowers like indigo, violets, sundrops, bluebells and more blooming in full glory in the northern hemisphere, this full moon in May is known as Flower Moon (by Native Americans) or Milk Moon. This year, the moon will position itself on the opposite side of the Earth as the sun, and its face will be fully illuminated.

Dates: 23 May

Also Read: We Bet You Didn’t Know About These 7 Hidden Gems In London!

Come(t) bro, let’s go and mark the calendars for these events.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva

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First Published: April 26, 2024 8:03 PM