The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, debris from Halley’s Comet, peaks this weekend. Here’s how to see it.
World News
The shower lasts until May 27.
This photo provided by NASA shows an Eta Aquarid meteor flying over northern Georgia on April 29, 2012. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks this weekend. Astronomers say it should be visible in both hemispheres. (B. Cooke/Marshall Space Flight Center/NASA via AP)
WASHINGTON — The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, a remnant of Halley’s Comet, peaks this weekend. And with just a waning crescent moon in the sky, it should be visible.
The Eta Aquarids occur every year in early May. This year’s peak activity occurs early Sunday, with 10 to 30 meteors visible per hour in the Northern Hemisphere.
Observation should be even better in the southern hemisphere. The shower lasts until May 27.
Here’s what you need to know about Eta Aquarids and other meteor showers.
Several meteor showers take place every year and you don’t need any special equipment to view them.
Most meteor showers come from comet debris. The source of the Eta Aquarids is Halley’s Comet.
When rocks from space enter Earth’s atmosphere, air resistance makes them very hot. This causes the the air shines around them and briefly leaves a fiery tail behind them – the end of a “shooting star”.
THE glowing air pockets around fast-moving space rocks, ranging from the size of a dust particle to a boulder, can be visible in the night sky.
Meteor showers are usually most visible between midnight and before dawn.
It’s easier to see the shooting stars below dark sky, far from city lights. Meteor showers also appear brightest on cloudless nights, when the moon is waning the most.
THE The southern hemisphere will have the best view of Eta Aquarids, but a waning moon just 14% full will allow clear vision in both hemispheres, according to the American Meteor Society.
The Meteor Society maintains an up-to-date list of upcoming major meteor showers, including peak viewing days and moonlight conditions.
The next big event is Southern Aquarid Delta meteor shower, which peaks in late July.
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