In celebration of the 27th National Astronomy Week, the Department of Science and Technology and PAGASA are offering free activities for the public to enjoy.
The free planetarium shows and telescoping sessions will be held at the PAGASA Planetarium and PAGASA Obervatory in Diliman, Quezon City. It will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis.
Interested parties may contact (02) 8284-0800 loc. 106 for inquiries and reservation purposes.—AAC
People across the globe witnessed the last supermoon of 2020.
The supermoon, which is also called as the flower moon, occurred on Thursday (May 7). According to PAGASA, the moon is at its nearest distance to the Earth.
Several netizens posted their own shots of the supermoon.
Stargazers will have another opportunity to witness a meteor shower as the Eta Aquarid begins its peak on Tuesday (May 5) until 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday (May 6).
The Eta Aquarid is a result of the Earth’s passing close to the orbit of Halley’s comet twice a year, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA also said the meteor shower is best observed a few hours before dawn and is more favorable to southern hemisphere viewers.
“In the Northern Hemisphere, about 20 or more meteors per hour at the pre-dawn sky of May 6 may be seen,” PAGASA said. “The point from where the meteors appear to radiate is located within the constellation Aquarius, the Water Bearer.” AAC
People looked up to skies on Wednesday (April 22) to witness the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Lyrids are bright and fast meteors that are active from April 16 to 25 every year.
Several stargazers were able to witness this spectacle while others just enjoyed watching the stars.
“The Lyrid meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,600 years. Chinese records show that ‘stars fell like rain’ during the meteor shower of 687 B.C.,” according to PAGASA.
However, they also reported that in recent times, the Lyrids have generally been weak.
“The shower typically generates a dozen meteors per hour under optimal conditions with a brief maximum that lasts for less than a day,” PAGASA stated. AAC
