The Eta Aquariid meteor shower, linked to Halley’s Comet, occurs yearly as Earth passes through its leftover debris. Instead of a single peak, this shower has a week-long period of high activity. Though Halley’s Comet itself won’t be back until 2061, its fragments hit our atmosphere at 40 miles per second (65 km/s), creating stunning streaks of light. Â
This year, the shower is set to peak tonight. It is best viewed in the pre-dawn hours when the meteors are most visible. Get ready for a celestial show!
Best Time and Place to Watch:
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will be most spectacular in the Southern Hemisphere, where skywatchers might see 50-60 meteors per hour. Those in the Northern Hemisphere will still get a show at a lower rate of 10-30 meteors per hour, especially in the pre-dawn hours, when visibility is best.
If you plan to watch, find a dark spot away from city lights, look toward Aquarius, and let your eyes adjust for an unforgettable cosmic display!
Hubble Captures Cosmic Fireworks in Ultraviolet
Bill Cooke, who leads NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said, “The light from the waxing Moon will wash out the fainter meteors this year – expect to see at most 10-15 meteors per hour just before dawn on the morning of the 6th.”
