- The Eta Aquarids meteor shower, a remnant of Halley’s Comet, will peak this weekend, and all you’ll see is a waning crescent moon in the sky.
- The Eta Aquari meteor shower occurs every year in early May, and this year’s peak activity will occur early Sunday morning, with 10 to 30 meteors expected to be visible per hour.
- A meteor shower is a phenomenon in which multiple meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Eta Aquari meteor shower, a remnant of Halley’s Comet, will reach its peak this weekend. And if there is a waning crescent moon in the sky, you should be able to see it.
Eta Aquarius occurs every year in early May.
This year’s peak of activity will occur early Sunday morning, with 10 to 30 meteors expected to be visible per hour in the Northern Hemisphere. It should look even better in the southern hemisphere. Showers will continue until May 27th.
Capturing a fireball meteor lighting up Colorado’s early morning sky
Here’s what you need to know about Eta Aquari and other meteor showers.
This photo provided by NASA shows the Eta Aquari meteor streaking across northern Georgia on April 29, 2012. The meteor shower will reach its peak this weekend. (B. Cook/Marshall Space Flight Center/via NASA AP)
What is a meteor shower?
Meteor showers occur multiple times each year, and you don’t need special equipment to observe them.
Most meteor showers begin with comet debris. The source of Eta Aquarius is Halley’s Comet.
When rocks from space enter Earth’s atmosphere, they become extremely hot due to the resistance from the air. This causes the air around them to glow, leaving behind them for a moment the end of a fiery tail, or “shooting star.”
Pockets of glowing air around fast-moving space rocks, ranging in size from dust particles to rocks, may be visible in the night sky.
How to see meteor showers
Meteor showers are usually best visible between midnight and before dawn.
Shooting stars are easier to see under dark skies away from city lights. Meteor showers also appear brightest on cloudless nights when the moon’s eclipse is smallest.
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According to the American Meteor Society, Eta Aquarius is best seen in the southern hemisphere, but it can be clearly seen in both hemispheres during the waning moon, when it is only 14% full.
When is the next meteor shower?
The Meteor Association maintains an up-to-date list of upcoming large-scale meteor showers, including peak observation days and moonlight conditions.
The next largest meteor shower is the Southern Delta Aquarius meteor shower, which peaks in late July.
