Eta Aquarid meteors visible through May 6
- by Carmen Reese
- in Science
- — May 6, 2019
A composite image of the 2013 Eta Aquarid in Australia.
Yet another meteor shower is on the way, and it will peak late Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
The meteoroids (small dust grains) are distributed around the comet's orbit. In fact, focusing only on the radiant point will reduce the overall number of meteors you will see during the shower. They have a speed of 66km/s into the earth's atmosphere.
Physicist Clare Kenyon from the University of Melbourne told the ABC we could be in for as much as 50 meteors an hour at the shower's peak.
What's the best way to see the Eta Aquariids?
.It may be the closest some people get to observing the comet itself. It only passes through our region every 75 years. Sky watchers are in for a great cosmic show. This is one of just two meteor showers created by burning debris from Halley's Comet. This inspired exposure captures a meteor streak moving left to right through the frame.
USA space agency NASA notes the Eta Aquarids are particularly fast meteors, which "can leave glowing "trains" - incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor - which last for several seconds to minutes". Still waters of the small pond near Albion, Maine, USA reflect the starry scene and the orange glow of nearby artificial lights scattered by a low cloud bank. And it is expected to be visible in both Southern and Northern Hemispheres.
'A new moon will assist, making the sky darker before dawn and we'll be able to see the fainter ones, ' Ms Bailey said.
The meteor shower, called the Eta Aquarids, is remnants of Halley's Comet and can be seen in the northern sky. The number of meteors visible will depend on your location on the globe. According to Accuweather, Johannesburg will have clear skies all the way, while Cape Town will be partly cloudly.
The Metro reported that Nasa advises stargazers: "To view the Eta Aquarids find an area well away from city or street lights". If you have a telescope, go ahead and use it. These showers will be visible from the equator northward.
Come prepared with warms clothes and something comfortable to lie on or sit in. You guessed it - the origin of the meteor from the constellation Orion. Instead, look at the sky as a whole.
Earthgrazers, according to NASA, are long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon.
