May’s Stargazing Blog
Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower.
This peaks TONIGHT! The night of the 6th and morning of the 7th of May, with best views before dawn because that’s when the radiant – Aquarius – rises above the horizon. The new moon means the skies will be dark and that’s when meteor showers are at their best, (Pesky clouds permitting!) If the weather isn’t clear, then DON’T PANIC because the Eta Aquariids continue to peak in the pre-dawn hours for a few more days.
Planets & The ISS
If you’re lucky you might catch Mars low in the west just after Sunset, and this month Saturn and Jupiter will tend to be rising at about midnight to one in the morning. Throughout May, Venus can be seen shining brightly in the mornings just before Sunrise.
There are going to be some great ISS passes in May from the 14th to the 23rd click here to find out more. Some of them will be in the early evening, and very bright indeed!
https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=UCT
The Moon
The moon is full on the 18th of this month and the new moon is on the 6th: This month’s full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Flower Moon because this was the time of year when spring flowers appeared in abundance and it is a “Blue Moon” because whilst usually only 3 full moons appear in any season, this is the 4th full moon of this season, and hence quite unusual.
Our Moonwatch events are very popular, with guests taking pictures of the moon through our telescopes with their mobile phones. If you want to give this a go, click here and book now! https://www.battlesteads.com/observatory/events/general-stargazing/stargazing–moonwatch
