During this period, the moon progresses from its new phase to almost half-illuminated. It won't cause any problems once it enters the evening sky as it will set long before the more active morning hours arrive.
During this period, the moon reaches its new phase on Friday May 22nd . This weekend the waning crescent moon will rise during the early morning hours and will only present a slight annoyance the remainder of the morning. One can easily obtain useful observations by keeping the moon out of your field of view.
During this period, the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Thursday May 14th. At that time, the moon lies 90 degrees west the sun and will rise near 03:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). This weekend the waning gibbous moon will rise during the evening hours and will challenge the meteor observer by obscuring all but the brighter meteors.
The eta Aquariids are the outbound particles of the Halley's comet. Activity from this shower will increase nightly and peak on May 5 and 6. (photo credit: May, 2nd 2017, Meteor over Mono Lake - © Jeff Sullivan Photography.com)
During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Thursday May 7th. At this time the moon lies opposite the sun and will remain above the horizon all night long. This weekend the waxing gibbous moon will set during the early morning hours and will provide a small window of opportunity to view under dark skies between moonset and dawn.
During this period the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Thursday April 30th. At this time the moon lies 90 degrees east of the sun and will set near 3:00 local daylight saving time (LDST) on May 1st. This weekend the waxing crescent moon will set during the early evening hours and will not cause any problems for those trying to view the meteor activity.
During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Thursday April 23rd. At this time the moon lies near the sun and is invisible at night. This weekend the waning crescent moon will rise during the early morning hours but will not cause any problems for those trying to view the meteor activity.
The normal Lyrid display, seen under moonless conditions, usually offers a peak of around 10 meteors per hour in addition to the normal random meteor rate of about 5 per hour. The peak is sharp, only a few hours long, so don’t be surprised if you see far less than 10 Lyrids per hour. Yet when compared to the normal low activity seen during the late winter and early spring nights, the nights around April 22nd offer a nice bit of entertainment to help one stay awake.
During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Tuesday April 14th. At this time the moon lies 90 degrees west of the sun and will rise near 2:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). This weekend the waning gibbous moon will rise during the late evening hours and will spoil the sky with bright moonlight the remainder of the night.
During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Tuesday April 7th. At this time the moon lies opposite the sun and will be above the horizon all night long. This weekend the waxing gibbous moon will set during the morning hours allowing meteor observers a short window of opportunity to view under dark skies just before dawn.
During this period the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Wednesday April 1st. At this time the moon lies 90 degrees east of the sun and will set near 02:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). This weekend the waxing crescent moon will set during the late evening hours allowing meteor observers to view activity without lunar interference during the more active morning hours.
During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Tuesday March 24th. At this time the moon lies near the sun and will be invisible at night. This is the best time of the month to view meteor activity as there will be no lunar interference.
During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Monday March 16th. At this time the moon lies 90 degrees west of the sun and will rise near 02:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). This weekend the moon will interfere greatly with viewing meteor activity during the active morning hours. As the week progresses the moon will become less of a factor and successful meteor observing can be undertaken if the moon is kept well out of one’s field of view.
American Meteor Society
