Optimal Viewing Times and Locations for Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower Peak
Astronomy enthusiasts, get ready for one of the year's best
meteor showers: NASA reports that the Eta Aquariids are about to peak.
According to NASA, the shower will peak late on Sunday and into Monday, but
meteors from it will be visible all week long. Since the peak coincides with a
new moon, visibility of the meteors will be easier and the sky will be darker.
When and
where to see the Eta Aquariids meteor shower
The meteor shower is most visible throughout the night of Sunday and Monday. Pre-dawn hours will allow viewing of the shower in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, with the Southern Hemisphere offering the finest viewing conditions. 40 meteors can be seen every hour by viewers in the Southern Hemisphere and 10–20 meteors per hour by viewers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Earthgrazers, or lengthy meteors that seem to skim the
Earth's surface at the horizon, are a common type of eta aquarid meteor seen in
the Northern Hemisphere.
Go somewhere far away from street or city lights for the finest view. It is
recommended by NASA to lie flat on your back with your feet pointed east. It
will take around 30 minutes in the dark for your eyes to adjust enough to see
meteors.
"Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you
have plenty of time to catch a glimpse," NASA said.
The shower will last through May 27 after the climax.
What is unique about the Eta Aquariids?
The Eta Aquariids are swift creatures. NASA reports that
luminous trains, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, can be
left behind by swift meteors. The speed of the Eta Aquariids is 44 miles per
second.
The cosmic debris that came from Halley's comet is the source of meteors in the
Eta Aquariids. Every time Halley circles back to the inner solar system, it
releases a layer of ice and rocks into space. Every year, two meteor showers
are created by the shed space dust: the Orionids in October and the Eta
Aquarids in May.
What are meteor showers?
Meteor showers are less common than meteors, which are space
pebbles that enter Earth's atmosphere and streak across the sky every night.
Meteor showers are brief periods of time when a large number of meteors strike
Earth's atmosphere. Hot, blazing air causes the meteors to leave behind light
streaks as they travel through the atmosphere.
While the majority of meteors burn up as they fall, some make it to Earth. They
are regarded as meteorites.
What else is visible in the sky this spring when you look up?
Astronomy
fans can check out the Flower Moon this month as May's full moon rises. May's
full moon will reach peak illumination on May 23 according to NASA. The Old
Farmer's Almanac details specific moonrise times for
different ZIP codes across the United States.
May's full moon is the last full moon of
spring. June's full moon reaches peak illumination on June 21, one day after
the summer solstice.
The next meteor shower is the Southern
delta Aquariids in July, according to the American Meteor
Society.