Astronomy Calendar
Check out what's happening in the sky!
This calendar of celestial events is frequently updated.
Image: Midnight Sun by H. Robertsson.
- May 6, 7 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. Most of the activity is seen in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet Halley. The shower runs annually from April 19 to May 28. It peaks this year on the night of May 6 and the morning of the May 7. The waxing gibbous moon will block out some of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you should still should be able to catch a some of the brighter ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
- May 12 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 8:57 am Alaska time. This full moon is sometimes known as the Flower Moon, the Corn Planting Moon, and the Milk Moon.
- May 26 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 7:04 pm Alaska time. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
- May 31 - Venus at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 45.9 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the bright planet in the eastern sky before sunrise.
- June 10 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 11:45 pm Alaska time. This full moon is sometimes known as the Strawberry Moon, the Rose Moon, and the Honey Moon.
- June 20 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 6:40 pm Alaska time. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
- June 25 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 2:33 am Alaska time. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
More astronomy viewing resources:
Check the for Interior Alaska, courtesy of the Geophysical Institute.
Explore the from Explore Fairbanks.
Use star wheels and astrolabes to find celestial bodies!
Sea and Sky has a to help you plan future astronomy viewings.
Check the , courtesy of the Curiosity rover.
Image: Perseids Meteor Shower (NASA/JPL).
This project was funded under NASA cooperative agreement NNX16AL65A and cooperative agreement number NNH15ZDA004C. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.