Eclipse, planetary parade and meteors: how to see three unusual astronomical events in May

This month we will experience unusual astronomical events - a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse, a conjunction of Mars and Jupiter and a meteor shower, reports Travel Leisure.

Photo: Shutterstock

April showers bring May astrological events. At least that's the case this month, when there are several reasons to pack up a car with sun loungers, a telescope or binoculars, grab a bite to eat, and head out in search of dark skies.

The key to watching any astronomical event is to get as far away from city lights as possible - ideally, if possible, to a place that is completely devoid of artificial lighting. Once there, give your eyes 20-30 minutes to adjust to the darkness before looking up.

On the subject: Getting ready for summer: top 10 best beaches in America

And if you can't get out of town this month to see these wonders of the night sky, don't worry - some of them will still be visible even due to light pollution (especially this lunar eclipse!)
Here are three celestial must-see events in May.

Supermoon and total lunar eclipse

When: 15–16 May

The Flower Moon, as it is colloquially called because of the flower blooms in May, will be the first supermoon of 2022. When a supermoon occurs, the moon is within 90 percent of its closest approach to Earth, so it will appear slightly larger and brighter than other full moons, space and technology publication Inverse explains.

To make this event even more spectacular, the Flower Moon will also undergo a total lunar eclipse, turning blood red as the Moon enters Earth's shadow. A total lunar eclipse will be visible over most of the Americas starting at approximately 21:32 pm. EST on May 15 and ends around 1:55 AM EST on May 16.

Conjunction of Mars and Jupiter.

When: 28 May

Later this month, Mars and Jupiter "kiss" in the night sky in a so-called conjunction - when two celestial bodies appear close to each other from Earth's perspective, but are actually very far apart, according to astronomy. The average distance between Mars and Jupiter is 563 million km.

Interestingly, the phenomenon will only be visible to the naked eye or through binoculars. If you look at Mars and Jupiter through a telescope, you can't really see them both in the same frame.

New meteor shower

When: 30 May

Photo: Shutterstock

It's not every day that a new meteor shower arrives, but that's what could happen on May 30th - there's a chance we could see one of these fragments later in the month.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

“It will be an all-or-nothing event.” If the debris from SW3 was moving at more than 350 km per hour when it separated from the comet, we could see a good meteor shower, said Bill Cook, head of NASA's Meteor Bodies Office. “If the debris had a lower ejection speed, then nothing would have reached the Earth and there would have been no meteors from this comet.”

If we actually see shooting stars, the meteor shower will be called the Tau Herculids.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Harmful or useful: 8 things that still baffle scientists

Immigration after 40: stories of Russian-speakers who started a new life in America in adulthood

Allergies and autoimmune diseases can be cured forever: scientists have found a way

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.