A new month will be starting; and interestingly, the first week of May will be filled with wondrous sky and moon watching events to look forward to.
Sky and Moon Watchlist For the First Week of May
Full Flower Moon
According to Forbes, the week will be dominated by the full Moon's rise. It will move towards fullness by the weekend and will brighten up the sunset sky.
Fox17 adds, more specifically, that the Full Flower Moon will fully bloom by May 4. Its unique name "Flower Moon" was dubbed in light of the flower blooms in May that typically fill the northern hemisphere. It may have also been attributed to the Algonquin people.
The Almanac notes that the peak illumination of the full Flower Moon would be at 1:36 p.m. (EDT) on May 5. By this time, it will be situated below the horizon.
Hence, to get the best view of the full Flower Moon, it would be best to stay outdoors in an area where it is possible to get an unobstructed view of the horizon.
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Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
A penumbral lunar eclipse is also expected to take place this week. Forbes notes that this would be the case especially in areas across Europe and the Pacific and the entire Africa, Asia, and Australia.
In this event, the Moon will end up being eclipsed by the Earth. This will take place due to the Full Flower Moon drifting into the outer shadow of the Earth for a couple of hours.
According to Time and Date, the eclipse's umbral magnitude is equivalent to -0.046. This means that the Moon will just miss the Earth's inner and darker shadow.
EarthSky also adds that this sight could be witnessed by those from the Middle East, eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the South Atlantic Ocean.
Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
Aside from lunar events, the eta-aquarid meteor shower is also expected to take place. According to the Planetary Society, this meteor shower will be at its peak on the night between May 5 and 6.
Forbes notes that these shooting stars (or rocks) are caused by the famous Halley's Comet's remaining dust and debris.
These meteor showers are known for their remarkable speed. In fact, NASA notes that these space rocks move at a speed of 148,000 mph as they enter the atmosphere of the Earth.
However, because of the bright shine of the full Moon during this evening, it may be hard to find a specific dark sky site. Nevertheless, sky watchers who camp out in their backyards during midnight may still catch a glimpse of one or two shooting stars while gazing upon the Moon.
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