What you can see in the night sky this week

Every Monday I select the heavenly highlights of the Northern Hemisphere for next week, but be sure to check out my main feed for more detailed articles on stargazing, eclipses, and astronomy.

What to watch in the night sky this week: May 4-10, 2020

A curious dose of nostalgia awaits in the night sky this week with the arrival of a meteor shower that owes its existence to Halley’s Comet. It is followed by the appearance of “Super Flower Moon”, the last great moonrise in 2020.

Monday, May 4 and Tuesday, May 5, 2020: Eta-Aquarid meteor shower

Stay up late on Monday, almost until dawn on Tuesday, and you may see chunks of Halley’s Comet in Earth’s atmosphere. Unfortunately, the peak of the Eta-Aquariid meteor shower arrives just before a bright supermoon, but some bright “shooting stars” should still be visible. It seems that they come from the constellation Aquarius that rises in the eastern sky.

Also today, the small planet Mercury will be on the other side of the Sun, seen from Earth, so completely invisible to us.

Wednesday May 6, 2020: Moon at perigee

Late on Wednesday, the Moon will be at perigee, as far as it can go from Earth in its monthly elliptical orbit. Cue a “supermoon”.

Thursday, May 7, 2020: Watch the “Super Flower Moon”

The Moon will enter its full phase and will be 100% illuminated by the Sun as seen from Earth at 10:45 universal time on Thursday, May 7, 2020. It is 6:45 a.m. EDT. Early risers can see the “Super Moon Flower” at its best when the moon sets, but it will look just as good, see the image above, as the moon rises later that night. From the full phase of the Moon and its perigee Almost combined, the May full moon qualifies as a “supermoon,” the fourth to do so in 2020, but for the last time.

Saturday May 9, 2020: Moon at perihelion

It is not something you can see specifically, but the Moon today will reach perihelion—The furthest from the Sun during 2020.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.