If not for the nearly full moon spoiling the party, southern hemisphere observers would be in for a special treat when above average meteor shower - Eta Aquarids - peaks on the night of May 5 and the morning of May 6. This meteor shower is capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. In northern hemisphere, the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour.
Second meteor shower for the month of May - Alpha Scorpiid - is forecast to peak on May 13 and is expected to produce around 5 meteors per hour. The Moon will be 25 days old and will present minimal interference.
The best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters - New Moon - is scheduled for May 18.
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May 3 - C/2015 F2 (Polonia) reaches its brightest. Comet C/2015 F2 (Polonia) is forecast to reach its brightest, at around mag 9.2. It will lie at a distance of 1.21 AU from the Sun, and at a distance of 0.73 AU from the Earth.
