Eta Aquariids set to dazzle night skies with up to 40 meteors per hour
This celestial display is expected to peak on May 5-6.
Skygazers can look forward to seeing several shooting stars on Tuesday night, as the Earth passes through the dust left over from Halley’s Comet.
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is expected to peak on the night of May 5, with up to 40 meteors per hour, and will be visible until the early morning of May 6.
This celestial display is associated with the Halley’s Comet, officially designated 1P/Halley, which orbits the sun once every 76 years.
Tania de Sales Marques, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the PA news agency: “The last time it [Halley’s Comet] was seen in the sky was 1986, and our next chance to view it will be late in the year 2061.”
The Eta Aquariids takes its name from the constellation of Aquarius in the southern hemisphere, where the shooting stars appear to originate from.
Meteoroids from Halley’s Comet strike the Earth’s atmosphere at an approximate speed of 150,000 miles per hour (240,000kph), burning up in the process.
Ms de Sales Marques told PA: “As a comet approaches the sun it heats up, releasing gas and dust into space behind it.
“When that wake of debris intersects with the orbit of the Earth we experience meteor showers, as the particles fall towards the Earth and heat up upon entering the atmosphere, leaving bright streaks in the sky as they vaporise or break apart.”
While the Eta Aquariids is active from late April to near the end of May, Ms de Sales Marques says the best time to see it will be on the night of May 5-6 between midnight and sunrise, when the shower will be at its peak.
Ms de Sales Marques told PA: “This is a moderately active meteor shower, with a peak rate of 40 meteors per hour, and even though its radiant will be below or only just above the horizon for those of us at London’s latitude, we can still look out for its meteors all across the sky.
“Our best chance will be in the hours just before dawn, facing the eastern sky.”
She advises getting far away from all artificial lights to increase the chances of catching a glimpse of the shooting stars on a moonlit night.
Ms de Sales Marques said: “As with any other stargazing activity, the best way to see meteors is to find yourself a spot sheltered from city lights with an unobstructed view of the sky and look in the direction of the radiant.
“The moon will be waxing gibbous throughout the night, so the sky won’t be as dark as one could hope, adding to the challenge.”
