Eta Aquarids meteor shower and lunar eclipses will occur in the sky in May

The month of May is full of fascinating celestial events for astronomy enthusiasts around the world. Upcoming nightly spectacles range from the Moon covering planets to a fantastic meteor shower.!

There will be 3 lunar eclipses this month. An event that occurs when the Moon passes in front of a celestial object, such as a planet or star, from the perspective of an observer on Earth.. The first of these will occur on the 3rd, when the Moon obscures the planet Saturn towards the constellation Aquarius.

The second will occur two nights later, on the 5th, and the Moon will obscure the planet Mars in Pisces. Finally, the last lunar eclipse of a planet on the moon will occur on the 31st, when the Moon will again obscure the planet Saturn in the constellation Aquarius.

Despite, The most important celestial event of the month is the Eta Aquarids (or Eta Aquarids) meteor shower, which is expected to reach its peak on the night of May 5! This rain, which is considered to be medium-sized, will be capable of producing between 50 and 60 meteors per hour tonight.

Eta Aquarids occur every year between April 19 and May 28 and are caused by dust particles and small space rocks left by the famous Halley’s Comet in its orbit around the Sun. This meteor shower is especially easy to see in Brazil. Due to its location throughout the Southern Hemisphere, meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but they can appear anywhere in the sky.

This year in particular, the observation of Eta Aquáridas will be particularly facilitated by the presence of the waning moon, which is already very close to the new phase in the sky, which will make the sky darker and facilitate the observation of fainter meteors. Try to go somewhere dark and away from major urban centers to watch the action.

The use of sky observation applications such as Chart Celeste, Sky Map, and Stellarium are excellent for helping visualize these astronomical events.

Calendar of major astronomical events for May 2024

01/05: In the First Quarter of the Month

03/05: Saturn moon occlusion

05/05: Peak meteor shower, Eta Aquarids and lunar occultation of Mars

05/06: Moon and Mercury conjunction

05/08: New month

09/05: Mercury at greatest western elongation (best view)

15/05: In the First Quarter of the Month

05/23: full moon

05/31: Saturn moon occlusion

Clear skies and good observations!

Always be aware of all the astronomical events of the month on TecMundo and get the opportunity to share the May calendar with your friends on your social networks. See you soon!