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What to Look for in May's Night Sky: Flower Moon, Meteor Shower, Supermoon
What to Look for in May's Night Sky: Flower Moon, Meteor Shower, Supermoon
Dec 27, 2024 5:50 PM

A shooting star flies over Veiga, Galicia, Spain.

(Carlos Fernandez/Getty Images)

It's only a little more than three months before parts of America are treated to the celestial event of the past four decades, the .Until then, skygazers will have much to marvel at in May's night sky.

This month you can expect theflower moon, a meteor shower and the new moon supermoon. For thosewith binoculars or a telescope, there are other interesting things to see.

Eta-Aquariid Meteor Shower

The annual began April 19 and will continue through May 28, reaching itspeak on May 5-6, according to space.com.

This meteor shower is better seen in the Southern Hemisphere, but those in the north will still have the opportunity to catch some falling stars.

Robert Lundsford of the International Meteor Organization said the is just before dawn. He recommends getting as far from the light pollution in cities as possible and taking at least 20 minutes to allow your eyes to fully adapt to the dark.

"Give yourself at least an hour of viewing time for watching any meteor shower," he said. "Meteors tend to come in spurts that are interspersed by lulls."

FlowerFull Moon

The Flower full moon will bedazzle star gazers in May.

(BalazsKovacs/Getty Images)

May's full moon goes by several names: the flower full moon, the milk full moon, the mother's full moon and the corn planting full moon.

The and will be the only day this month the moon will remain in the sky All other days, the moon will rise or set during daylight hours, notes space.com.

According to space.com, people living in New York City can see that full moon at 5:55 a.m. ET.

New Moon Supermoon

This year's and not the full moon. It's the first time this has occurred since 2009, according to earthsky.org.

The supermoon will trigger,which can cause coastal flooding as sea levels rise from the pull of the moon.

The new moon supermoon will occur May 25-26.

Jupiter's Red Spot

Jupiter and its Great Red Spot, captured by the Hubble Telescope.

(NASA)

For those with a telescope, a great time to get a glimpse of Jupiter's red spot will fall on May 11.

"While not quite as large in the night sky as in April, the planet Jupiter will continue to dominate the heavens for much of May," . "This makes it the perfect target for even astronomers with small telescopes to pick out and marvel at its beauty."

The best time to see Jupiter is around 8:30 p.m. local time.

Mercury

Mercury can be seen here next to the moon.

(John Chumack/Getty Images)

Mercuryis another planet to check out in May. Although you won't need a telescope for this celestialsight, it might help to grab yourbinoculars for a better view.

The best time to view the planet is before dawn May 18, suggests earthsky.org, when it reaches its furthest distance from the sun.

Like the Eta-Aquariidmeteor shower, those in the southern hemisphere will have the best chance to view the planet closest to the sun.

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