May kicks off with a full moon and a meteor shower
The full moon occurs Friday afternoon at 1:23 p.m. and is known as the flower moon.
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May is extra special this year because there are two full moons this month.
The first one is Friday, and the second one will occur on the May 31.
The second full moon in one month is also known as a “blue moon.” Monthly blue moons happen every two to three years.
The full moon occurs Friday afternoon at 1:23 p.m. and is known as the flower moon.
The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower will be peaking Tuesday night into the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning (May 5-6). Unfortunately, the weather might just get in the way Tuesday night.
This meteor shower comes from debris from Halley’s Comet. The best time to view this shower is after midnight and during the pre-dawn hours when the constellation Aquarius is high in the sky. The shower is best visible for a few days on either side of the peak. It’s possible to see them through the end of May.
Comet Halley is now at its farthest point from the sun and won’t return to the inner solar system until 2061. It was last seen in 1986, but the debris trails that produce the shower were left hundreds of years ago. The Earth will run into more debris from Halley's comet in October to form the Orionid meteor shower.
