In May, astronomy enthusiasts will be able to observe the rare natural phenomenon called the "blue Moon," the "Eta-Aquarids" meteor shower, as well as Venus gradually moving away from the Sun.
This was reported by Aleksandr Alekseyev, a scientific associate of the Physics-Astronomy Department of the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics of Russia, in an interview with "RIA Novosti."
"The first day of May will begin with a full moon. Considering that May has 31 days and the interval between full moons is 29 and a half days, the next full moon will fall on May 31. This phenomenon is called the 'blue Moon.' The English expression 'Once in a Blue Moon' originates from this and means 'an extremely rare event.' At the same time, the Moon will appear in its usual color on both May 1 and May 31," Aleksandr Alekseyev said.
The astronomer noted that throughout May, Venus will continue to be favorably visible in the evening sky. Since the planet is gradually moving away from the Sun, it will reach a more favorable position for observation. According to him, it will be possible to see the phase of Venus, that is, the partial illumination of its disk, using binoculars.
Aleksandr Alekseyev added that among the bright planets, Jupiter will also be clearly visible. It remains in the Gemini constellation and can be well observed in the evening hours.
Furthermore, the specialist stated that the favorable period for observing spring constellations continues. In the southern part of the sky, it will be possible to clearly see the constellations of Cancer, Leo, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, Virgo, and Bootes.
According to him, astronomy enthusiasts can observe the Beehive Cluster in the Cancer constellation and the M3 globular star cluster in the Canes Venatici constellation. In the Virgo and Coma Berenices constellations, it will be possible to see superclusters of galaxies with the same names through a telescope./oxu.az