Ethereal beauty: The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is all set to dazzle the May sky
The annual Eta meteor shower will reach its peak on the night of May 5 and in the morning hours of May 6 in the Southern Hemisphere and continue to be visible till May 21, according to NASA.
Stargazers, be alert! The annual space spectacle is back, offering a luminous celestial display for skywatchers. Known for its swift, bright meteors, the Eta Aquarids are the year’s most anticipated skywatching events, particularly for the observers in the Southern Hemisphere.
According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the meteors can be viewed from April 20 to May 21, and the meteor shower is expected to peak in the night of May 5 till the early hours of May 6.
What is Eta Aquarids meteor shower?
Meteor showers often happen when the earth passes through a trail of dust and tiny rocks left behind by a comet. The bits of these particles enter our atmosphere at high speeds and cause a burnup, creating a streak of light in the sky, which we call a meteor.
The Eta Aquarids are debris from Halley's comet, which last came close to Earth in 1986. When the earth passes through the debris of Halley comet, its atmosphere comes into contact with the leftover particles of the comet and leads to a burnup, creating the Eta Aquarids that give a luminous effect in the sky, which people often call different names such as ‘meteor shower’ and ‘shooting stars’.
It takes 76 years for comet Halley to orbit the sun once and it will not enter our solar system again until 2061.
Where and how to watch the meteor shower?
The Eta Aquarids meteor shower, named after the star Aquarii in the Aquarius constellation, comes from a single spot known as the radiant. The best viewing time is when this point rises in the Aquarius constellation. Even though the shower is visible both in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, the visibility is greater in the Southern Hemisphere, with the highest number of meteors.
To view the meteor shower at its peak, it is best to look out to the sky during the early hours of the day, around 2 am on May 6. Around 10-15 meteors can be seen during the dawn of May 6. There is no need to carry a binocular around, as the meteor can be viewed with the naked eye. But be patient; it will take around 15-20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. While choosing a place to view the meteor, it is always best if you look away from the moon and lie on your back. Bright lights, especially the ones from your cell phone, should be avoided as they may restrict your night vision.
The best places to view the meteor shower are locations in the Southern Hemisphere where the Aquarius constellation rises higher in the sky. However, if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, you can still see the shower during the early morning hours.
Sci/Tech