The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is due to reach its peak in the near future, and skywatchers from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are in for a treat. This annual meteor shower, with its rapid-fire meteors and stunning glowing trails, does not require the use of telescopes or binoculars to view.
What Are the Eta Aquariids?
According to NASA, the Eta Aquariids reach their peak every year in early May. The Eta Aquariids are one of the fastest meteors, entering Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of about 40.7 miles (65.4 kilometres) per second. “Fast meteors may have glowing ‘trains’ (incandescent particles of debris behind the meteor) lasting from several seconds to minutes,” NASA describes. During the peak, observers can see about 50 meteors per hour.
The parent of the Eta Aquariids is comet 1P/Halley. When Halley’s Comet passes through the inner solar system, it produces a trail of rocky and icy debris. Although Halley orbits the Sun only once every 76 years, its leftovers produce two meteor showers every year—the Eta Aquariids in May and the Orionids in October.
When to View Eta Aquariids?
The Eta Aquariids have been active since April 15 and will probably continue until May 27, as per the American Meteor Society (AMS). The best opportunities to see the shower will be on its peak during the mornings of May 4, 5, and 6.
NASA advises viewing the display at 2 a.m. local time on May 6. Tips from them for a best view: “Keep looking away from the Moon, and let your eyes take approximately 30 minutes to get dark again. Keep from looking at bright lights, including your phone, too, because this will put your eyes on something other than the sky and spoil your night vision.” A dark open sky with no city lights has the best visibility.
Why It’s Called Eta Aquariids
The meteor shower takes its name from its radiant—the location in the sky where the meteors appear to come from—which is located in the constellation Aquarius. NASA states, “The location in the sky from which the Eta Aquariids are seen to emerge, the radiant, is located in the constellation Aquarius, the water bearer. One of the brighter stars in Aquarius is named Eta Aquarii, and the shower meteors seem to come from this region of the constellation.”
