By Pat Beers Block
Welcome Star Gazers to this month’s highlights of celestial events visible in Fluvanna County!
Fun events to view in May
The wonderful thing about star gazing is that we always learn about new celestial happenings; with professional and amateur astronomers exploring the sky, new features are bound to be discovered each day. Friends Lisa and Todd mentioned to me in early April that a new comet was discovered on April 1 (not an April Fools joke!) when a comet passing near Earth suddenly appeared in the sky; it is now named SWAN25 F2. At first it was thought this comet would disintegrate as it approached the Sun, but evidence now suggests that SWAN25 F2 will be visible in early May in the northwestern sky after sunset near the Pleiades star cluster and the Sun. Remember, since this is in the direction of the Sun, be careful not to look for this comet before the Sun has set. As for its future beyond early May, SWAN25 F2 it might disintegrate or continue its orbit to the outer limits of space; its destiny is unknown at this time. We are reminded through this discovery that our knowledge of the universe is always expanding so keep looking up to the sky!
This month, there will be conjunctions (remote objects visually appear close to one another) and planetary and star occultations (one object briefly overshadows another celestial object) to observe. May will not be an especially active month for observing celestial events but there are some interesting things to observe and facts to digest. For instance, the major Class I meteor shower Eta Aquariids is at its peak in early May; the full moon has an interesting and logical colloquial name; and we just might see that new SWAN25 F2 comet!
Hopefully some of these events capture your interest and motivate you to spend time observing the night and early morning dark sky this month. So let’s get ready to engage in observing these events by setting up your star gazing equipment, charging your cell phones and linking to Sky Guide, Sky View Lite, or any other star gazing applications that you find useful, and settling into your favorite viewing spot to witness the magic of the night and early morning skies!
Weeks 1 -2 (May 1- 10)
The possibility exists that the new comet SWAN25 F2 will be visible (telescopes and binoculars advised) the first week of May. It is best to only look for this comet after sunset since it will reside in the area near the Sun. Never look directly at the Sun at any time for any significant length of time; as you do with solar eclipses, always protect your eyesight.
On the night of May 2, the moon will be in conjunction with Pollux within the constellation Gemini. On May 3 evening, the moon will be in conjunction with the Beehive Star Cluster (Messier 44) in the constellation Cancer.
The Eta Aquariids major Class I meteor shower can be seen just before dawn on May 4. In the Fluvanna area, the shower will produce about 10-30 meteors an hour. Unfortunately, the moon will be in its first quarter so the meteors might be overshadowed by the brightness of the moon.
On the morning of May 4, Mars can be seen in conjunction with the Beehive Star Cluster (Messier 44) located in the constellation Cancer.
On May 5, the moon will be in conjunction with the star Regulus located within the constellation Leo.
On May 10, the moon will be conjunction with the star Spica, the brightest star within the constellation Virgo.
Week 3 (May 11-17)
The full moon appears on May 12 within the constellation Libra. This moon bares the colloquial name of the Flower Moon, so named by Native Americans because of the emergence of many flowers at this time of the year. Like April, this month’s moon is a “Micromoon”, with it appearing 5% smaller and 10% darker than average full moons.
On May 14, the moon is in conjunction with the star Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.
On May 17, Uranus will be in conjunction with the Sun. This interaction will not be visible but it is worth noting how the planets interface with the Sun and other planetary bodies.
Week 4 (May 18-24)
The moon moves into its last quarter phase on May 20. The moon will be illuminated on the left half of its surface.
From May 22 through May 24, the moon will be in conjunction with Saturn and Venus just before dawn. This conjunction should be visible in the east/southeast sky.
Week 5 (May 25-31)
The last events of May include the new moon phase on May 26 at which time the moon will no longer be visible except as a ghost-like sphere in the sky. The conjunction of the moon with Pollux and the Beehive Star Cluster return and will occur on May 30 and 31 respectively.
In Summary…
So ends the celestial highlights of May. The question of what happens to SWAN25 F2 will weigh on our minds this month, as will the fun name of the Flower Moon for this month’s full moon. We might witness the Eta Aquariids meteor shower if the shower is productive and the sky is clear of clouds.
Beyond these noted events, it is worth exploring celestial stories and events that are posted on NASA’s homepage, and visiting websites that provide information about space rocket and satellite launches, the travels of the ISS, and aurora borealis flare-ups that might be visible in Fluvanna county.
With the perpetual motion of planets and stars, the daily changing sky promises to entertain you for a lifetime! Until next month, keep your eyes facing the morning and evening sky to see the wonders of our universe as we Earthlings travel through it!
[information has been extracted from Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2025 – Sea and Sky (seasky.org); https://eclispe.gsfc.nasa.gov; https://highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub; https://amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers; https://starwalk.space; https://spacetourismguide.com; Wikipedia; https://SkyatNightMagazine.com]
