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Saturday May 31

Unlike a full solar eclipse, on May 31st, the Moon is too far from Earth to fully obscure the Sun. Instead, a ring of light - the Sun's corona - will be visible during this annular eclipse. The full show is restricted to observers in Iceland, Greenland and northern Scotland.

Elsewhere in North America, Europe and Asia, the Moon will take a bite from the solar disc in a partial eclipse, leaving a cresent-shaped sun.

To see the eclipse, you will need to look at a projected image of the sun or use a safe solar filter. Never look at the sun directly!

More details about the times and locations of the eclipse can be found on NASA's page

Annular eclipse over Scotland
Ring of fire to be highlight of celestial breakfast show.
30 May 2003

Both © Rick Fienberg /
Sky & Telescope

This year's Astronomy Day (10th May) couldn't have fallen in a more astronomically active month. To celebrate, the Nature news team bring you a stargazing special featuring this month's heavenly highlights: a transit of Mercury, an annular eclipse of the Sun and a full eclipse of the Moon. If you can tear yourself away from the screen, astronomy clubs around the world are organising events that you can take part in too.

Thursday May 15

As the Moon falls into line directly behind Earth on May 15, light from the Sun will be blocked in a lunar eclipse. The normally silver disk will darken and turn pink or red. The colour results from the few rays of sunlight peeking around the bulk of our planet as they are bent by our atmosphere, just as at sunrise and sunset. A firey-orange hue results which is reflected back to us by the lunar surface.

Skywatchers in North and South America, Europe and Africa will get great views of the full Moon's eclipse. Unlike solar eclipses this can be safely watched with the naked eye, or enhanced with a small telescope or binoculars.

The colours vary with each eclipse depending on the amount of dust and cloud in Earth's atmosphere, which affects how the light gets filtered and bent. The picture above shows the Moon progressing through the centre of the shadow in 2000.

Click to see a movie of a previous lunar eclipse.

Earth's shadow to cause lunar eclipse
Astronomers prepare for blood-red Moon.
12 May 2003

On May 7th, Mercury's path came between Earth and the Sun, making the planet visible as a dark disc crossing the solar glow.

Click to see a movie of the transit.

Caution! Planet crossing
Mercury in transit across the Sun
6 May 2003

There are astronomy clubs all over the world, where enthusiasts meet, talk and share equipment. Many are holding events around astronomy week or to coincide with the month's celestial happenings.

The Astronomical League has a list of this month's international events

To find a club near you, use this directory

	Five times more water on Moon? Doubling of cold, dark lunar craters raises human colonisation hopes. 26 March 2003

	Best picture yet of infant Universe New results from NASA satellite confirm cosmology theories. 13 February 2003

	Europe's silicon skies open today Virtual observatory puts galaxies just clicks away. 20 January 2003

	Camera gets deepest view of Universe Galaxy group helps Hubble look back in time. 8 January 2003

	29 hours is a year on OGLE-TR-56b Most distant planet orbiting another star spotted in passing. 7 January 2003

	Ring around the Galaxy Half-a-billion stars found encircling Milky Way. 7 January 2003

	Nature Insight: Mars A special collection of reviews and commentary covering all aspects of Martian exploration. 12 July 2001

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