May's magnificent night sky begins with a meteor shower

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May is the perfect month to celebrate astronomy. The nights are mild, the springtime constellations are at their best, and a meteor shower greets early risers.

As the month opens, Earth encounters bits of cosmic fluff left in the wake of the famous Halley's comet, the source of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower. The shower's May 5 peak is a broad one — and extends a week before and after.