Nanjing, May 5 (Reporter Yang Yanci) A reporter from Chinanews.com learned from the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on May 1 that the May Tianyu Theater is now new: penumbral lunar eclipse, Aquarius η meteor shower, Venus with the moon, Mercury western elongation, etc. have been "fixed", which will bring a wonderful visual feast to the public.
The starry sky in May is dominated by spring constellations, with the Big Dipper hanging high overhead. The bright stars of the constellations Leo, Virgo, and Shepherd dominate the southern sky, and the spring triangle and spring curve become the coordinates of "star chasing".
In the splendid galaxy, stars have appeared with "gifts" to open the blockbuster screening season belonging to the starry sky.
On May 5, the shadow of the Moon and the Earth "meet", and the penumbral lunar eclipse appears. 5.98% of the moon's diameter will enter the Earth's penumbra, and the entire process will last nearly four and a half hours.
It can be seen in Africa, the southeastern Atlantic, Asia (except the extreme north and east), and the Indian Ocean. China is exactly within the range of "visible lunar eclipses". As long as the sky is clear, the public can see it with the naked eye when the moon is not obscured.
On May 5, the Aquariids, Halley's gift from Comet, η meteor showers arrived on Earth.
The η Aquariids meteor shower, named after the radiant near the bright star η in the constellation Aquarius, is a famous meteor shower that occurs between April 4 and May 19 every year. This year's maximum for the Aquariids η meteor shower occurs on May 5, and up to 28 wishing meteors are expected to fall every hour.
Unfortunately, this Aquariid meteor shower coincides with the full moon and will have some impact on observations.
The earth warmed up, and the gathering of Tianyu became more and more lively. Several planets in the solar system will "visit" the moon girl one after another, bringing romantic stars and moon fairy tales.
On May 5, Saturn's conjunction debuts; On May 13, the Neptune conjunction appeared; On May 5, Venus with the Moon is staged. Among the planetary moon-accompanied celestial phenomena, Venus with the moon is the most ornamental.
This time Venus with the Moon is exactly in the middle of Gemini. After sunset, as the sky gets darker, the "Gemini" will appear on the western horizon. At this time, the brightest star in the sky, Venus, gradually approached a bright moon, flashing and flashing, just like the "treasures in the arms" of two "little boys", and the degree of viewing was very high.
At the end of the month, Mercury Western Elongation Grand Finale debuts. This is the second western elongation of Mercury in 2023, around sunrise. As long as the weather is good, interested members of the public are expected to trace the mysterious Mercury in the eastern morning light. (End)