Welcome to the Ontario Parks “Eyes on the Skies” series. This space (see what we did there?) will cover a wide range of astronomy topics with a focus on what can be seen from the pristine skies found in our provincial parks.
While spring “technically” begins in March, most of us living in cold climates tend to celebrate May as the true start to the season.
Here are our astronomical highlights for May, 2024:
The sun
Having passed the spring equinox, the sun continues to rise (and set) further north of due east (and due west). And as usual, when the sun appears more northerly in the sky, the full moon that month appears almost equally further south.
Sunrise and sunset times:
| May 1 | May 15 | May 31 | |
| Sunrise | 6:11 a.m. | 5:52 a.m. | 5:39 a.m. |
| Midday | 1:22 p.m. | 1:22 p.m. | 1:23 p.m. |
| Sunset | 8:34 p.m. | 8:51 p.m. | 9:09 p.m. |
The moon
The moon has long captivated observers of all ages.
May’s lunar phases of the moon occur as follows:
Total solar eclipse recap
to the lower right from the total solar eclipse! Additionally, Jupiter was visible (not in this image) towards the upper left
Despite the forecasts calling for variable cloud conditions, millions of people around the Great Lakes were able to see some or all of the total solar eclipse!
Those who were fortunate enough to see totality were left spellbound by its magnificence!
It is truly one of those awe-inspiring moments that makes you appreciate how the ancients were stunned by its appearance.
To think, one moment you are caught up in life’s normal activities and then, within seconds, the sky darkens considerably, the planets appear, the temperature drops, and the sun becomes dark – what a moment of wonder for the ancients and of magnificence for us today!
In case you missed it, here is a time lapse of the event as captured through a small telescope tracking the Sun with a specialized astronomy camera.
The planets
The planet Venus and Jupiter were magnificent sites during the total solar eclipse positioned to the lower right and upper left from the eclipse (see Venus in the wide-field view of the eclipse above.
Also closer to the sun was Mercury, but observers would needed binoculars to see it. So we know that Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter are close to the sun and, therefore, not visible.
The planets Saturn and Mars rise in the very early hours just before sunrise and are not well placed until the later summer months.
Meteor showers
On the night of May 4 into the morning of May 5, you can enjoy the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower.
While this meteor shower is not nearly as famous nor prolific as the Perseids, Geminids, or Quadrantids, it can be quite enjoyable to watch, especially in the pre-dawn early morning hours.
Because this year’s shower falls close to new moon, viewers from the dark skies of our provincial parks may see upwards of 30 meteors per hour after 1:00 a.m.
Featured constellations
Madoodiswan (the Sweat Lodge)
In this month’s featured constellations, we will first discuss an Anishinaabek constellation that is prominent at this time of the year: Madoodiswan (the Sweat Lodge).
Madoodiswan appears amongst the same stars as the Greek constellation of Corona Borealis, and is of high significance for many of Indigenous peoples.
Learn more about its stories and traditional associations here.
Boötes the Herdsman, Virgo the Maiden, and Libra the Scales
In last month’s post, we featured the Ursa Major, the Great Bear (Big Dipper) and Ursa Minor, the Little Bear (Little Dipper).
In this month’s edition, we will talk about constellations that are ideal for warm weather observation: Boötes the Herdsman, Virgo the Maiden and Libra the Scales.
Find more information on this month’s constellations.
