Meteor shower, solar eclipse to delight sky watchers this month

MANILA, Philippines - Sky gazers are lucky this month as they have the chance to see the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower, a partial solar eclipse and a range of planets in conjunction.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday five to 10 meteors per hour will light up the sky before dawn of May 5 or 6.

PAGASA said the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is derived from the dust released by Halley’s Comet during its countless voyages through the solar system. The shower results when Earth crosses the orbit of the comet, running into clouds of debris or meteoroids shed by the comet due to the heat from the Sun.

Residents in the southern part of the country can also witness a partial solar eclipse on May 10.

The eclipse will be visible in Bulan, Sorsogon; Masbate; Roxas City; Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; Cebu; Tacloban; Dumaguete; Surigao; Cagayan de Oro; Iligan; Zamboanga; Hinatuan; Cotabato; Jolo, Sulu; Davao; General Santos City; and the southernmost parts of Luzon.

Saturn will also be visible in the evening sky throughout the month above the east southeastern horizon.

“It will be glowing at magnitude +0.2 and will traverse background stars of the constellation Libra, the Scale, until the middle of the month before going to the constellation of Virgo, the Virgin,” PAGASA said.

Jupiter, Mercury and Venus will also make a spectacular series of conjunctions in the evening twilight from the middle of the month and onwards.

Neptune and Uranus, on the other hand, will be visible before dawn during the month.

“They will be located among the background stars of the constellations Pisces, the Fish, and Aquarius, the Water-Bearer, and will be glowing at magnitude +5.9 and +7.9, respectively,” PAGASA said.

Sky gazers need to use modest-sized binoculars or a telescope and star map to observe the planets.