Since I haven't had a lot of time to create a new post, I thought it would be a good idea to let my few readers know what they can see in the night sky each month. I will try to do these posts around the 20th of each month, so check back around then if you haven't signed up for notifications. Don't worry! I will write some interesting posts about various astronomy related topics when I get the chance. But for now, here is what you can see during the month of May.
May 5: Meteor Shower! Today, the Eta Aquariid Meteor shower is at it's peak. Since there is a New Moon on May 6th, tonight would be a great night to see some meteors, weather permitting. These "shooting stars" are the result of Earth passing through Halley's Comet dust trail. You should be able to see an average of 55 meteors per hour.
May 6: Today is a New Moon! That means you won't be able to see the moon in the sky tonight which also means you can see a lot more stars, especially if you are able to get away from the city lights or any source of light pollution.
May 9: Special Observing Date!!! Today, you will be able to see Mercury transit the Sun. This transit starts around 10:25 AM and goes until about 12:45 PM for viewers near Salt Lake City. This is what I'm most excited to see this month. The next occurrence of a similar event won't be until November of 2019. So be sure to watch! Buy some solar glasses now!
May 21: Full Moon. While nights close to a full moon are terrible for looking at the stars or other deep space objects, it is still a nice sight. If you have a telescope, be sure to use a moon filter!
May 22: Mars is at opposition (opposite of the Sun from our perspective). It will appear brightest this night, and for the next few nights. This would be a great time to view Mars through a telescope.
May 30: Mars makes its closest approach to Earth on this day for this year. No, Mars won't appear as large as a full moon in the sky, it will just appear a little brighter.
Jupiter and Saturn will also be visible all month. Jupiter will be high in the eastern sky after sunset. Saturn will appear to follow Mars in the night sky. Remember, if you're not sure if what you are looking at is a planet or not, just look at it for a few minutes. If you don't notice any twinkle, then it's a planet! Jupiter is really bright, so you should be able to pick that one out easily.
Orion will still be visible in the early evening sky. It will be found in the southwest after sunset. Remember, if you use the 3 stars of Orion's belt, you can find Sirius, the brightest star in the sky (trace a line to the south through the belt). If you follow the stars in the opposite direction, you can see the Pleiades star cluster. Also known as Subaru, and the Seven Sisters. You will have to be away from major city lights to see this with your naked eyes.
Don't forget to watch for the International Space Station. With the warmer weather it might be nice to sit outside to see if you can see it. There are several apps you can get for your phone to alert you when the next sighting will be. I have a couple on my phone, but my favorite is the NASA app. If you choose this app, open it up, tap on Missions, then Sighting Opportunities. The ISS moves quickly through the sky, like an aircraft. However, the ISS does not have any blinking lights on it. Use this information to find it!
Happy viewing and clear skies!
