Stargazers are set for a celestial treat this week, when one of the year’s best meteor showers will arrive. The annual Eta Aquariids – a shower associated with Halley’s Comet – will peak towards the end of the week. The shower should – weather permitting – be visible in both hemispheres until May 28.
And during its peak, the Eta Aquariids will produce up to 40 visible meteors per hour.
The event is named after the brightest star in the Aquarius constellation, from which the shooting stars appear to originate.
However, in reality these streaks of light are actually particles of dust shrugged-off off by the world renowned Halley’s Comet.
The fragments are only a couple of millimetres across, and incinerate as our planet passes through Halley’s dispersed tail.
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Halley’s Comet is actually responsible for two meteor showers each year, the other being October’s Orionids.
Although the Eta Aquariids do not number as many as August’s Perseids shower, they are brighter.
Visibility will be widespread around the world, although it improves with proximity to the equator.
The best viewing opportunities for the Eta Aquariids, however, are always in the southern hemisphere.
This is because the region is currently transitioning into winter, meaning the nights are longer and darker.
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How to see the Eta Aquariids:
No expensive equipment or specific skills are necessary to view the Eta Aquariids meteor shower.
All you really need is a clear sky, lots of patience, and warm clothing maximise your chances of seeing a shooting star.
Stargazers will need to find a secluded viewing spot, away from the city light pollution.
Once you arrive at your spots, your eyes will require 15 to 20 minutes to get accustomed to the dark.
Dress for the weather, and make sure you are comfortable, especially if you plan to stay out long.
Bring a blanket or a comfortable chair with you—meteor watching can be a waiting game.
Once you have found your viewing spot, lie down on the ground and look up in the direction of the radiant.
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What is Halley’s Comet?
The Eta Aquariids meteor shower derives from dust ejected by Halley’s Comet during its near-eternal elliptical orbit around the Sun.
Although this world-famous comet is currently almost at its maximum distance from the Sun, debris from its many encounters with the solar system’s star fills in its orbital path.
When our planet ploughs through this stream of detritus, our Earth’s atmosphere incinerates the tiny dust particles.
And this creates streaks of light we called meteors, more commonly known as shooting stars.
Halley’s Comet which will not get close to our planet until 2062.
The comet takes 75 to 76 years to orbit the sun, but often comes close to Earth.
