From shooting stars kicking off the beginning of the month to speedy planet Mercury becoming visible, here are the top astronomy events for May 2024.
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00:05 May kicks off with shooting stars.
00:08 The Eta Aquarid meteor shower will peak on the night of May 4th and 5th.
00:12 Although the shower favors the southern hemisphere,
00:15 the northern hemisphere can still expect a good show of between 30 and 40 meteors per hour.
00:21 The Eta Aquarids may be more active this year due to the gas giant Jupiter
00:26 launching an enhanced amount of debris toward our planet.
00:29 Speaking of planets, catch Mercury on May 9th,
00:32 when the planet reaches its highest point above the horizon.
00:36 The best time to view Mercury is before sunrise.
00:39 Look to the eastern sky low on the horizon.
00:42 April showers bring May flowers, so it only makes sense that May's full moon is known as the Flower Moon.
00:49 Catch the rise of the Flower Moon on May 23rd.
00:52 The moon can be used as a background for excellent springtime photos.
00:57 Reporting for AccuWeather, I'm Jeff Cornish.