Cosmic events have been wholesale. With the most recent arcial solar eclipse, the excitement to admire the celestial vault is at its maximum and the good news is that the cosmic phenomena continue. The astronomical calendar for May 2022 opens strong with a shower of stars and culminates with a lunar eclipse. Know all the details of dates and times so that you can enjoy the events that the cosmos has prepared for us.
Astronomical calendar for May 2022
May 5 and 6: Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
*Credits: Jason Weingart
The month of May begins with a meteor shower known as Eta Aquarids, which will give us the opportunity to admire brilliant flashes crossing the firmament. And although it is not one of the most active rains, it does have a medium flash rate and will give us the opportunity to reconnect with the cosmos.
With a period that runs from April 21 to May 20 and peaking between the 5th and 6th of the month, it is one of the most beloved meteor showers. Not precisely because it has one of the highest activities, but because it is produced by the famous Halley’s comet. For this reason, it draws a lot of attention from lovers of the cosmos who come together to admire the reminiscences of the comet that was discovered by Edmund Halley with the help of the great Isaac Newton’s theory of gravitation.
It will be on the night of May 5 and early morning of May 6, when the meteor shower reaches its highest activity and produces a Zenithal Hourly Rate (THZ) of 30 meteors per hour. This means that with optimal dark conditions, as well as skies clear of clouds, you can see up to 30 flashes per hour coming directly from the constellation Aquarius.
May 16: Flores full moon and total lunar eclipse
On May 16 at 04:15 UTC the Moon will enter its full moon known to Native American tribes as the Full Flower Moon. In other words, it will reach its maximum illumination, thanks to the fact that the Sun’s rays will reach it fully and we will be able to observe the fully illuminated lunar disk. This full moon produced in May was called ‘of Flowers’ by the Native American tribes thanks to the fact that May is the season in which the flowers are reborn from their rest after winter.
Recently the sky surprised South America with a partial solar eclipse, which is why many wondered when it would be North America’s turn. The good news is that a total lunar eclipse is approaching that will give us a so-called Blood Moon thanks to its transition from a bright white color to a dark red, due to the momentary concealment of the Sun’s rays.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes completely through Earth’s dark shadow known as the umbra. In these astronomical events, the Moon gradually darkens and then turns blood red, which is why it is also known as the Blood Moon. The eclipse will be visible across all of North America, Greenland, the Atlantic Ocean, and parts of western Europe and western Africa.
If you are a passionate cosmonaut and want to know the astronomical events that the Universe has in store for us every month, we have prepared the 2022 astronomical calendar. Where you can check dates and all kinds of information you need to enjoy cosmic events throughout the year.
It might interest you