Happy May Day 2022! May is an exciting month in the skies – and a great time to get outdoors in the warm weather! On May 16th a Total Lunar Eclipse will be visible in the Americas, Eastern Europe, and most of Africa. The η-Aquariid Meteor Shower peaks on May 6th, showcasing debris from Halley’s Comet. Mars and Jupiter are both in Geocentric Conjunction with the Moon on May 24th. These two planets will visit each other more closely on May 28th.
During the Total Lunar Eclipse on May 16th, the East Coast of the United States and the entirety of the South American continent will have the best view. First, the Moon will enter the Earth’s Penumbra, or indirect shadow. Next, the Moon will cross the line into the Earth’s Umbra, or direct shadow, to begin the Partial Lunar Eclipse. Once the moon is completely surrounded by the Earth’s Umbra, the Total Lunar Eclipse begins. It finishes the cycle by entering another Partial Lunar Eclipse as the Moon makes its way back out of the Umbra and into the Penumbra. When the Umbra is completely ended, the Partial Lunar Eclipse finishes.
Total Lunar Eclipse Timeline
| May 15, 10:28 EDT | Moon enters Umbra, Partial Lunar Eclipse Begins |
| May 15, 11:30 EST | Moon fully encompassed by Umbra, Total Lunar Eclipse Begins |
| May 16, 12:12 EDT | Full Moon |
| May 16, 12:54 EDT | Moon begins to leave Umbra, Partial Lunar Eclipse Begins |
| May 16, 1:55 EDT | Moon fully leaves Umbra, Partial Lunar Eclipse Ends |
In-The-Sky.Org, as usual, has an excellent write up and gears its articles to your local time.
NASA created a map of the visibility of the Total Lunar Eclipse:
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Table of Contents
Check out the Glossary of Astronomical Events if you need any explanations!
Astronomical Phenomena
 | Visible in the Americas, Europe, and Africa May 15-16th, 2022 |
Moon Phases
 |  |  |  |
| First Quarter Moon May 8th | Full Moon May 16th Total Lunar Eclipse | Third Quarter Moon May 22nd | New Moon May 30th |
All times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST) or Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDT).
Moon Facts
| Ascending Node: | 1st, 28th |
| Apogee: | 5th |
| Descending Node: | 15th |
| Perigee: | 17th |
| Moon Name: | Flower Moon, Planting Moon |
Meteor Showers
η-Aquarrid Meteor Shower Meteor Shower
| Radiant Point Constellation: | Aquarius, from Halley’s Comet debris |
| Peak Date: | May 6th |
| Best Time, EST: | Between 2:30 and 5:30 AM EDT |
| Direction to Look: | Close to the Zenith to the South |
| Learn More: | In-The-Sky.Org |
η-Lyrid Meteor Shower Meteor Shower
| Radiant Point Constellation: | Lyra |
| Peak Date: | April 24th |
| Best Time, EST: | Before Dawn |
| Direction to Look: | Close to the Zenith in the North Northeast |
| Learn More: | SpaceTourism Guide |
Planetary Alignments & Lunar Conjunctions
| Moon ☌ Mercury | May 2 |
| Uranus ☌ Sun | May 5 |
| ☄ η-Aquariid Meteor Shower | May 6 |
| ☄ η-Lyrid Meteor Shower | May 8 |
| ☀ Total Lunar Eclipse | May 16 |
| Mars ☌ Neptune | May 17 |
| Moon ☌ Saturn | May 22 |
| Moon ☌ Mars | May 24 |
| Moon ☌ Jupiter | May 24 |
| Moon ☌ Venus | May 26 |
| Mars ☌ Jupiter | May 28 |
May 2022
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