May- Lunar Eclipse, Doubles and Pinwheel Galaxy

Total Lunar Eclipse May 15

There are two total lunar eclipses this year visible from North America. May’s favors the east coast, while November’s will favor the west. Totality lasts 1 hour and 25 minutes for both, giving observers on both sides of the continent the opportunity to see the Moon fully eclipsed.

May’s eclipse begins at 9:32 PM ET, while totality begins at 11:29 PM ET.

Mizar + Alcor

The double in the Big Dipper is one of the most famous double stars in the sky, Mizar & Alcor make an easy target for naked-eye observers. But using a small telescope at low power is all you need to split it. 

M101- Pinwheel Galaxy

Messier 101 can be found with your telescope by locating bright star, Alkaid, in the handle of the Big Dipper. Using modest astrophotography equipment, we can photograph this incredible deep sky object from our own backyards. A 200mm scope can show the Pinwheel’s bright core and faint arms, but you’ll need a light pollution filter to bring out finer details.

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