The month of May month begins with the May 4 new moon and will provide dark sky conditions to enjoy the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. The entire shower takes place from April 19 to May 28 with the peak occurring on the morning of May 5. The parent comet 1P/Halley which also produces the Orionid meteor shower in October will produce about 40 meteors per hour and vapourize in the atmosphere at 67 km/sec.

Follow the handle of the Big Dipper as it arcs or bends to the star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes. Continue this imaginary curve to the first magnitude star Spica – alpha Virgo. At 250 light-years (ly) away, Spica shines 1,900 times more luminous than the Sun. It actually consists of two extremely hot B1 and B4 stars that are separated by a mere 0.12 astronomical units or 18 million kilometres.