As the weather continues to warm up, this month will provide a good balance of natural events and manmade missions. From lunar sample missions to the Flower Moon, here are some of May’s most anticipated astronomical phenomena and rocket launches.
SpaceX is targeting May for the launch of Starship IFT-4, or the fourth integrated flight test of Starship, the largest most powerful rocket ever flown. The third integrated flight test took place on March 14 and was considered the first successful test, though communication with the spacecraft was lost during atmospheric re-entry. Some objectives of IFT-4 include better controlled engine burn and improved vehicle and booster landing.
Chang’e-6, a robotic spacecraft involved with the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, is targeting the morning of May 3 for its launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the island of Hainan, China. The Chang’e-6 mission is an attempt to complete China’s second lunar sample return mission, and may obtain the first ever rock and soil samples successfully from the far side of the lunar surface. The Chinese Lunar Exploration program is designed in four phases: to reach lunar orbit (successfully completed by both Chang’e-1 in 2007 and Chang’e-2 in 2010), to land a rover on the Moon (successfully competed by Chang’e-3 in 2014 and Chang’e-4 in 2019), to collect lunar samples for a return to Earth (successfully completed by Chang’e-5 in 2020), and to eventually send a crew to develop a base on the surface of the Moon (currently targeted for the 2030s). Chang’e-6 will be an essential part of the third phase, and its mission is expected to take approximately 53 days.
The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower will peak in the morning of May 5 at approximately 4:40 AM (Eastern Time). The shower, which is active between mid-April and late May each year, is unique in that it has a broader peak than most other meteor showers and is usually clearly visible over many days. Additionally, the new moon of May will occur only a few days later, meaning that the shower will not be obstructed by moonlight. Observers in the Northern Hemisphere will experience between 10 and 20 meteors per hour, while those in the Southern Hemisphere can expect an hourly rate of up to 60. The origin comet of the Eta Aquarids shower is Halley’s comet, first observed in 240 BCE, which is also the object of origin for October’s Orionid shower as well as what is arguably the most famous comet. It was last observed in 1986 and will return in 2061.
The full moon of May, known as the Flower Moon, will reach peak illumination on May 23 at 9:53 AM (Eastern Time). This full moon will be best viewed on the nights of May 22 and 23 as it will be below the horizon at its time of peak illumination. Named for the flowers blooming across the country during the Spring season, the Flower Moon is also commonly referred to as the Budding Moon, the Planting Moon, the Egg Laying Moon, and the Frog Moon. All of these alternative names echo the theme of Spring, as well as all of the developments that come with it in the world of nature and creatures.
Whether you are most interested in watching the world’s most powerful rocket embark on its fourth test flight or observing one of the most exciting meteor showers of the year, May will contain plenty of astronomy observation opportunities for everyone.