Hi, I'm Sonia,
I have been into astronomy since 1997 when I was 11 years old when comet Hale Bopp was around. I remember being in the back garden with my dad and he was showing me how to take a photo of it with his old Fujica camera, that I still have now.
Ever since then I've been fascinated with space. I started with a very cheap Tasco telescope from Argos to look at the moon, went onto a Meade goto etx 90 telescope, which unfortunately due to age stopped working.
For a very long time and currently using a skywatcher 10" Dobsonian, to mostly photograph the moon and also the planets with a moon filter. Seestar S50 which has now got me into deep sky imaging which I love! And lastly a Coronado PST for solar imaging.
I have two BscHons open degrees in Introducing Astronomy and the planets.
Elected in 2023 to become a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vice President for the Manchester Astronomical Society.
Currently a freelancer for the BBC sky at night magazine.
Clear Skies
Sonia
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Can you believe we are in May already?
So, what’s in store for us this month?
Meteor Showers:
We have the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower (Peak: May 5-6)
Originating from Hayley’s Comet, this meteor shower is active from Late April to Early May, peaking in the early hours of the 5th and 6th. Observers in the UK can expect to see up to 50 meteors per hour under dark skies. The best viewing times are between midnight and dawn, when the radiant point in the constellation Aquarius rises higher in the sky.
(C) MailOnline
Planetary observations:
Evening Sky: Jupiter shines brightly in the western sky after sunset, gradually setting earlier as the month goes on. Mars appears higher in the sky, which will produce a reddish hue to observers.
Morning Sky: Venus will be in the Eastern pre-dawn sky with a brilliant glow. Saturn will rise before sunrise and will appear above Venus. Mercury is close to the horizon and will make it challenging to spot.
Lunar events:
May 3-4
The moon will be close to the planet Mars and also to M44 being the beehive cluster. This event will look great in binoculars and a telescope.
May 12
The full moon also known as the flower moon will make an appearance.
May 22-23
The crescent moon will align with the planets Venus and Saturn in the eastern sky, and will look great for any early risers.
Deep sky objects:
The Sombrero Galaxy known ad M104 which is located in the constellation Virgo looks like a hat and will be great to view with a medium to large telescope under dark skies. This can also be imaged with a Smartscope.
Coma Bernices – This constellation contains several star clusters and galaxies making it a great area for deep sky observing. Did you know this constellation was also named after Queen Berenice II of Egypt?
Clear Skies, Sonia
