May 1 – New Moon
The Moon will be on the same side of the Sun as seen from Earth and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurred at 3:30 p.m. (Vietnam time). This will be the best time of the month to observe faint objects like galaxies and star clusters, as they will not be affected by moonlight.
May 6 and 7 – Eta Aquarid meteor shower
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is an above-average shower, reaching up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. Most meteors will be visible in the southern hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the frequency only reaches about 30 meteors per hour. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is formed from dust grains from Comet Halley, a celestial body known and observed since ancient times. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower typically occurs annually from April 29 to May 28, peaking this year on the night of May 6 and the morning of May 7. The light of a nearly full moon will obscure all but the brightest meteors. But if you’re patient, you might still be able to spot some beautiful meteors. It is best to observe in dark places after midnight. Meteors tend to radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear from anywhere in the sky.
An Eta Aquarid meteor in the sky in May. Author: Mike Taylor
May 16 – Full moon
The Moon will be facing the Sun as seen from Earth, and the part of the Moon facing Earth will be fully illuminated. This phase occurred at 11:15 a.m. (Vietnam time). This full moon was called the Full Flower Moon by ancient Native American tribes because it is the time when spring flowers appear the most. This moon is also known as the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.
May 16 – Total Lunar Eclipse
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon completely passes through the Earth’s shadow. With this type of lunar eclipse, the Moon will gradually darken and then turn rusty or blood red. This lunar eclipse allows us to observe all of North America, Greenland, the Atlantic Ocean, parts of Northern Europe and West Africa (not visible in Vietnam).
Total lunar eclipse. Photo: Hoang Quoc Phuong (HAS)
May 30 – New Moon
The Moon will be on the same side of the Sun as seen from Earth and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurred at 6:32 p.m. (Vietnam time). This will be the best time of the month to observe faint objects like galaxies and star clusters, which will not be affected by moonlight.
See more 2022 ephemeris here: https://deepsky2000.net/quan-sat-thien-van/lich-thien-van-nam-2022/
HAS translation team
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