There's lots happening the first weekend in May.  The Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower peaks on the evening of May 4th to the early morning of the 5th.  Not a big shower, but up to 10 meteors an hour can be seen coming from the direction of the constellation Aquarius, which rises on the west coast around 3:00 a.m. on the 5th.  Look towards E SE.  Once again, this meteor shower will be washed out by bright full moonlight that occurs over the weekend.

On May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, at 08:35 p.m. PDT. We will have a "Super Moon". Called this  because it is the closest full moon of 2012, a little over 221,829 miles from Earth.  It is also know as the "Flower Moon" because during May, in most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name Flower Moon.  Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon. 

In May, Venus, the evening star, is still shining bright high in the  west-northwest in the night sky.  Venus and the moon pair up after sunset on May 22nd.  The moon moves off to meet the red planet Mars in Leo on May 28th.  Finally, the moon approaches Saturn on May 31.  Descending closer to the sun day-by-day.  By month’s end Venus vanishes into the glare of the Sun as it approaches its historic transit on June 5th.

Mars is in Leo and continues to get dimmer as it recedes from Earth. At mid-month Mars rises near 12:30 p.m., transits about 7 p.m., and sets around 01:45 a.m.

Jupiter is in conjunction with the sun on the 13th and is not visible this month.

Saturn is visible most of the night, and can be seen within the constellation of Virgo and is northeast of the bright star Spica.  It can be enjoyed with a pair of binoculars.  At mid-month Saturn rises near 04:15 p.m., transits about 10:00 p.m. and sets around 03:45 a.m.

May 20th Annular Solar Eclipse.  One of two major events happening within less than a month of one another. 

The annular eclipse will be visible from a path that begins in eastern Asia, crosses the north Pacific Ocean, and ends in the western United States.

                                                          Photo Courtesy of Star Date

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How to Observe the Solar Eclipses, according to Astronomy & Space.
 
You may have heard that looking at the Sun during a solar eclipse is dangerous. Well it is. It is always dangerous to look directly at the Sun. It can blind you. However if we try to stare at the Sun the extreme brightness pains our eyes. We immediately look away. During a solar eclipse, the sun is less bright but no less dangerous. The danger is there, but the protection mechanism is gone. There are many solar filters that claim to make it safe to observe a solar eclipse. Some are safe; some are not. If you are not sure about a particular filter, assume it is not safe.
 
Projecting the Sun's image is safe. Take two index cards. Poke a pinhole in one of them, and place the other in its shadow. Adjust the distance between the cards to get the Sun's image. Using a shoe box with a pinhole in one end will also work and make it a little easier to see the projected image. A lens can also project the Sun's image. A removable camera lens, a telescope eyepiece, or binoculars can also project the image. Practice your technique before the eclipse.