Nine must-see astronomical events in the night sky for May 2022
As the weather in the Northern Hemisphere gets warmer, there's nothing like a night of stargazing. While many of us can't attend the astronomical event in person, we can also get together in our yard or in a nearby park to share the May night sky.
This month, we will experience a series of astronomical events: near-Earth events, meteors, and even some special events related to the moon. Of course, we can also see the Galactic Center rising slowly this month. The New Moon in May will be born on May 30, a day when we may also see the darkest night sky in May.
In order for you to fully appreciate these astronomical events, I have marked in this blog post where binoculars or astronomical telescopes are needed. If you need a guide to getting started with stargazing devices, be sure not to miss my "Full-Price Telescope Recommendation List."
Back to the point, the following is the may astronomical event table, which can be added to the calendar.
There are some of the best stargazing events this month – but there are also other fun events and nighttimes throughout the year!
Featured photo: Willi Winzig from the Flickr website
May 6 – η – Peak of the Aquarius meteor shower
Image licensed by Mike Lewinski of Flickr
Meteor showers always amaze the crowd, with two just-in-time meteor showers in May. The first is the Ata Aquarius meteor shower, which will appear on May 6 of this year. Since the constellation Aquarius, which is the radiation point of the meteor shower, is located in the extremely low position of the southern sky, this meteor shower is suitable for residents close to the equator.
You can watch this meteor shower for most of the year from the end of April to May, but the peak of the meteor shower will circle around May 6. The Ata Aquarius meteor shower typically produces 40 meteors per hour; as the beginning of May, why not? Best of all: the moon will be a dead moon, so it probably won't cause much interference.
May 8 - η - Peak of the Lyra meteor shower
The Aita Lyra Meteor Shower (η-Lyra Meteor Shower) occurs from May 3 to 14 each year, but in 2021, the peak observation time at night is more likely to occur on May 8. On this evening, you can look out in the general direction of the Lyra radiation point and try to spot the Aita meteor shower that is straddling the night sky.
Since the Aita Lyra meteor shower is not a particularly active meteor shower (you can expect 3 meteors to appear as an average during the peak hour), it is possible to see these meteor showers before dusk and at night on May 8.
May 15 - Whole meal
After the partial solar eclipse on April 30, we can naturally expect a lunar eclipse two weeks later. The lunar eclipse will be visible on the night of May 15-16 and can be seen throughout South and eastern North America. The rest of the world, including north America, Africa and other parts of Europe, will be able to see a partial lunar eclipse in the early evening of the 15th or a few hours before dawn on the 16th, depending on the time zone.
May 17 - Mars and Neptune merge
Following the mid-month lunar eclipse, the remaining astronomical events of may are associated with the convergence and close visual contact of members of the solar system family. The first is the rendezvous of Mars and Neptune on the night of May 17.
This rendezvous is interesting because it allows you to use the Mars-to-planet jump to discover Neptune. However, you will need binoculars or telescopes to do this. The two planets are very close together in the sky, separated by only 0°34′, which would be perfect if you were trying to find this pair of planets using an astronomical binoculars (you may need to adjust the telescope to move from Mars to Neptune, depending on the vision energy of your telescope).
May 21 - Moon Saturn conjunction
Photo credit: Cedric Allier (Flickr)
Then, from the evening of May 21 to the early hours of May 22, the Moon and Saturn will have a very close visual approach. (In fact, the closest time for these two celestial bodies is just after midnight on the 22nd, and it should be noted that I have written on the 21st so that you can start stargazing before formally observing these two celestial bodies.) ）
Although the Moon and Saturn are not visually as close as the Mars and Neptune of a few nights ago, they are also within 5° (4° 27' to be exact). The convex moon will take place in the third phase of the conjunction, which is worth a visit, after which you can enjoy Saturn and the beautiful rings of Saturn.
May 24 – The moon, Mars, and Jupiter are three-star
Next, the Moon (according to our budget) periodically approaches Mars and Jupiter. The first approach to the Moon and Mars will occur during the day for the vast majority of observers; the closest distance between them is only 2°46', but will still appear near each other at sunset. Then, a few hours later, the Moon appeared to be close to bright Jupiter, differing by only 3°14′ apart.
This is another excellent night when you can use your astronomical equipment to observe the three solar system's neighboring objects. In addition, the moon will become the Emei Moon and its chiaroscuro lines should be beautiful to observe.
May 27 – Moon occultation of Venus
Image license: Flickr
For something slightly different, night sky viewers in Southeast Asia will enjoy a feast on the evening of May 27. For those who can observe the area, a lunar occultation will appear on the morning of May 27 (between about midnight and 5:30 (UTC)).
For the rest of us, the moon and Venus will be close to each other in the sky, even if we won't enjoy the feast of Venus disappearing after the moonlight of Emei Moon.
May 28 – Mars meets Jupiter
Finally, after observing the Moon up close separately in the previous nights, Mars and Jupiter will also have their own close-up observations. The pair will appear at a distance of 0°38' in the night sky after sunset on May 28, closer than mars and Neptune earlier this month.
While both Mars and Jupiter can be seen with the naked eye, it was the last great night in May to see both planets up close with a telescope or binoculars.
If you have any other questions about the Astronomical Events in May, leave a comment in the discussion area!
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BY：NIGHT SKY GUIDE
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Resources
1. WJ Encyclopedia
2. Astronomical terms
3. Original from: https://spacetourismguide.com/may-night-sky/
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