What to Look Out for in the Night Skies This May

The nights are getting warmer, making it easier to get outside and see what the galaxy is up to after the sun goes down. The May astronomical calendar features the last meteor shower until July, a rare planetary alignment, and a full moon. Here is a look at what you need to put on your calendar for after the sun goes down over the next few weeks.

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower - May 5 and 6

The last meteor shower until July is on tap for the night of Monday, May 5, and into the early morning hours of May 6. While the shower actually started on April 15, the greatest concentration of shooting stars will streak across the sky in early May.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is distinguished as the best of its kind for the Southern Hemisphere, featuring about 40 to 60 shooting stars each hour in this part of the globe. Those in the Northern Hemisphere will be treated to up to 30 meteors each hour. Because the shower is happening in the Southern Hemisphere, you will have the best luck catching the show in action if you look in that direction. Use the constellation Aquarius as your guide to where to train your eyes.

As with any meteor shower, you will need clear skies to catch the full effect. At this time, the forecast is calling for the best viewing conditions across the Gulf Coast, the Upper Midwest, and parts of the Midwest. Cloudy skies are likely to obscure the views in the Northeast, Southern California, the Great Lakes, and the interior West. If your overnight forecast calls for partly cloudy conditions, you may have luck in monitoring the hourly forecast and timing your viewing accordingly.

Flower Moon - May 12 and 13

Less than one week after the Eta Aquarids, stargazers will be able to catch a full moon rising in the sky. May's full moon is most frequently called the Flower Moon as this is the time of year when flowers are in full bloom throughout North America.

Other monikers for this full moon are the Egg Laying Moon, the Frog Moon, and the Planting Moon. All of the moons pay tribute to the spring season and the changes that happen during the transitional month of May.

Alignment of Moon, Venus, and Saturn - May 23

A rare planetary alignment will light up the early morning sky on the morning of Friday, May 23. You will find the Moon, Venus, and Saturn just before sunrise in the eastern sky. The moon will appear between the two planets. All three celestial objects will be shining bright enough to see with the naked eye. Stargazers will note that Venus will appear much brighter than Saturn.

The same planets will appear together the next morning. However, the moon will be located at the bottom of the duo to the left of Venus.

While the nights are getting warmer and promoting more comfortable viewing conditions, the tradeoff is that you will need to wait a bit longer for the skies to become dark enough to see the action. Average sunset times drop considerably from the beginning of the month to its end, giving you less time to see the beauty in the night skies.

The longest day of the year, also known as the summer solstice, is quickly approaching. This means that the sun will not set until about 9 pm by the end of the month in some of the nation's northern cities, including Seattle and Minneapolis. With so many celestial events on the horizon, the wait will be worth it.

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