9 cosmic events you should not miss in May 2025

The space is an enigmatic world full of exciting surprises that may leave the onlooker stunned with its magical beauty. From meteor showers to northern lights, there are so many cosmic events that enchant us all, revealing the awe-inspiring beauty and mystery of space. Since the beginning of 2025, humans have witnessed some major cosmic phenomena including the 'smiley face' conjunction and partial solar eclipse. May 2025 is also set to surprise cosmic enthusiasts with 9 stunning events mentioned below!

On May 3rd, look towards the west just after sunset to spot a swarm of thousands of stars. The stars of Beehive Cluster, Messier 44 will be appearing just below the crescent moon. Among these shining stars will be one with a slightly reddish hue, that's Mars! For the best experience, make sure to view the event with a telescope or pair of binoculars.

While the Eta Aquariid meteor shower will be active from April 20th to May 21, it will be peaking on the night of May 5th and the morning of May 6th. It is linked to Halley's Comet and onlookers in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to catch a glimpse of around 10 meteors per hour that are sure to leave streaks of gleaming light.

May 6 might just be the most special event on this list as it happens only once every 15 Earth years. The sun will be shining directly over the planet's equator causing its popular rings to appear edge-on and nearly vanish from sight.

A globular cluster is a spherical collection of thousands of stars bound by gravity to appear like a sparkling cluster. Such a shimmering cluster of Messier 5 will be visible on May 11.

According to the Farmer's Almanac each month's full moon is reflective of its natural events. Thus, the full moon in May will be the flower moon as this is the time spring flowers usually bloom in North America.

On the night of May 22nd, Saturn will be 2°28’ away from the crescent moon. If you want to imagine the distance, it is about 2.5 pinky fingers at arm's length. Those who want to view the cosmic event should use binoculars rather than telescopes to be able to fit the view in the frames.

May 26th might be just the perfect day to plan a stargazing date night with your partner as the clear skies will be offering the best stargazing conditions of the month. With the new moon night, you can see even galaxies and nebulae.

In case you end up missing the globular cluster on May 11th, wait for May 28th. On this day, stars from Messier 4, the closest globular cluster to Earth, will be seen.

On May 31st, Venus will reach its maximum western elongation, which is the maximum distance west of the sun in our sky. Thus, people will be able to see the bright "morning star" in the pre-dawn hours in striking views.