Blue moon, Eta Aquariids meteor shower and other May 2019 astronomy events

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Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Blue moon, Eta Aquariids meteor shower and other May 2019 astronomy events
Don't miss the blue moon, the Eta Aquariids meteor shower and these other astronomy events happening in May 2019.

Look to the sky this month, which will begin with shooting stars!

On the nights of May 4 and 5, catch the peak of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. The shower favors the southern hemisphere, where viewers can see up to 60 meteors per hour, according to AccuWeather. The northern hemisphere, though, could see between 10 and 30 meteors per hour. The meteors are rock and debris left behind by Halley's Comet.

The blue moon will rise on May 18, but this isn't your typical blue moon, the name for the second full month of the month. This is a seasonal blue moon, the third of four full moons in a single season. No matter which kind of blue moon it is, know that the moon won't actually look blue in the sky.

The moon will have companions on May 21, when it lines up with Jupiter and Saturn.