PAGASA: Aquarid meteor shower to peak May 5 or 6

Stargazers have something to look forward to this month - the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, the first of two this year as Earth passes close to the orbit of Halley's Comet.

 

But PAGASA acting administrator Vicente Malano said the bright moon could interfere with observations of the meteor shower.

 

"The radiant of the meteor shower will virtually lie on the celestial equator and is more favorable to southern hemisphere viewers. The bright Moon will interfere the observations of the shower. In the northern hemisphere, about 20 or more meteors per hour at the pre-dawn sky of May 5 or May 6 may be seen," Malano said.

 

"It is best to observe only a few hours before dawn," he added.

 

Planets

 

Mercury will reach its greatest elongation on May 7, after which it and Mars will slide down the horizon and eventually become difficult to observe due to their closeness to the Sun on the last week of May.

 

Saturn rises about two hours after sunset and will remain visible throughout the month.

 

On May 23, Saturn will be in opposition, when Earth passes between it and the Sun.

 

"The opposition of a planet is a good time to observe it, because the planet is then at its nearest point to the Earth and the full phase of the two celestial bodies appear in the opposite direction in the sky," Malano said.

 

He added a pair of binoculars or a telescope will help see Saturn's rings and some of its brightest satellites.

 

Saturn will glow at magnitude +0.1 and will lie between the boundaries of the constellations Libra and Scorpius.

 

Meanwhile, Neptune rises about two hours after midnight, while Uranus will be up an hour before sunrise at the beginning of May.

 

They will be seen among the background stars of the constellations Aquarius and Pisces, glowing at magnitudes +7.9 and +5.9, respectively. — Joel Locsin/RSJ, GMA News