It's only a little more than three months before parts of America are treated to the celestial event of the past four decades, the Great American Total Solar Eclipse. Until then, sky gazers will have much to marvel at in May's night sky.

This month you can expect the flower moon, a meteor shower and the new moon supermoon. For those with binoculars or a telescope, there are other interesting things to see.

Eta-Aquariid Meteor Shower

The annual Eta-Aquariid meteor shower began April 19 and will continue through May 28, reaching its peak on May 5-6, according to space.com.

This meteor shower is better seen in the Southern Hemisphere, but those in the north will still have the opportunity to catch some falling stars. 

Robert Lundsford of the International Meteor Organization said the best time to view the shower is just before dawn. He recommends getting as far from the light pollution in cities as possible and taking at least 20 minutes to allow your eyes to fully adapt to the dark.

"Give yourself at least an hour of viewing time for watching any meteor shower," he said. "Meteors tend to come in spurts that are interspersed by lulls."

Flower Full Moon

May's full moon goes by several names: the flower full moon, the milk full moon, the mother's full moon and the corn planting full moon. 

The moon will shine in all its glory May 10 and will be the only day this month the moon will remain in the sky All other days, the moon will rise or set during daylight hours, notes space.com.

According to space.com, people living in New York City can see that full moon at 5:55 a.m. ET.

New Moon Supermoon

This year's closest supermoon is actually a new moon and not the full moon. It's the first time this has occurred since 2009, according to earthsky.org.

The supermoon will trigger perigean spring tides, which can cause coastal flooding as sea levels rise from the pull of the moon. 

The new moon supermoon will occur May 25-26.

Jupiter's Red Spot

For those with a telescope, a great time to get a glimpse of Jupiter's red spot will fall on May 11. 

"While not quite as large in the night sky as in April, the planet Jupiter will continue to dominate the heavens for much of May," notes Michael D'Estries of Mother Nature Network. "This makes it the perfect target for even astronomers with small telescopes to pick out and marvel at its beauty."

The best time to see Jupiter is around 8:30 p.m. local time.

Mercury

Mercury is another planet to check out in May. Although you won't need a telescope for this celestial sight, it might help to grab your binoculars for a better view.  

The best time to view the planet is before dawn May 18, suggests earthsky.org, when it reaches its furthest distance from the sun. 

Like the Eta-Aquariid meteor shower, those in the southern hemisphere will have the best chance to view the planet closest to the sun.