In April, we saw a planet “parade” and the stunning Lyrid meteor shower.
And May’s holding its own on the astronomical front, too – it’s beginning with a “micromoon” in the form of its “flower” full moon.
Here’s why that’s happening and when to see it:
What is a “micromoon”?
The moon’s orbit around our planet isn’t a perfect circle, and the Earth isn’t in the middle of its elliptical orbit either. That means there are times when the moon is either closer or farther away from the Earth.
When the moon’s at its closest point to the Earth, it’s called a lunar perigee. That’s when we may see phenomena like “supermoons”.
And when it’s the furthest away, it’s called an “apogee”. Royal Museums Greenwich said, “if a lunar...
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