There’s going to be a glowing light in the sky between Monday and Tuesday as the Earth passes through the cosmic debris of Halley’s comet. The Eta Aquarids shower is the third major meteor shower of the year and is active from mid-April through late May. The densest debris patch, also called the peak, is where we’ll see the most activity. That’s what’s happening across the globe on the night of May 5 and into the morning of May 6.
While the Aquarid meteor showers generally don’t yield the big flashes of light called fireballs, they’re known for their speed and the glowing trails they leave across the sky. According to NASA, these meteors shoot at 40.7 miles per second across the sky. Light trails can last between several seconds to minutes.
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“The Eta Aquarids are a meteor shower that is especially cool because it is fueled by Halley’s Comet,” Emily Rice, associate professor of astrophysics at Macaulay Honors College, told CNET.
Halley’s comet is one of the most famous comets, and passes through the inner solar system every 76 years. Even though Halley’s comet is nowhere near Earth right now, it leaves its mark with the meteor showers born from the trail of dust the comet leaves in its orbital stream.
Back in 1986, when the comet last swung through the inner solar system, it lost about 1/1,000th of its mass. Rice said that the dust trail crosses Earth’s orbit twice, which gives us two yearly meteor showers: the Eta Aquarid shower and the Orionid shower in October.
The Eta Aquarid shower is your last chance to see any meteors for a few months. The next one will be in late July.
How to see the Eta Aquarid meteor shower
The Eta Aquarid shower can be seen anywhere around the world, as long as you aren’t at extreme northern or southern latitudes. The southern hemisphere gets the best views because the Eta Aquarids will be higher in the sky. Northern Hemisphere dwellers should expect to see “earthgrazers,” or long meteors near the horizon that look to skim the surface of the Earth.
“The shower is expected to peak at about 50 meteors an hour,” Rice said. Which means you’ll be waiting between meteor appearances. The longer you’re outside and the darker the sky is, the more you’ll see.
Stay away from lights, if you can
As with any meteor shower, you’ll get the best view at night, between midnight and dawn, when there is the least light. You’ll want to go to a location without much light from buildings or street lights.
According to the American Meteor Society, the circumstances for seeing the Eta Aquarid shower are excellent because the first quarter moon will set long before the radiant rises. The radiant is where the shower appears to originate from. In the case of the Eta Aquarid shower, that’s the Aquarius constellation, so that’s a good place to start looking.
“The constellation of Aquarius won’t be visible in the night sky until after midnight, so this is a meteor shower for night owls or early birds,” Rice added.
You won’t step out of your door and see them
You don’t need a flashy camera or special equipment to watch a meteor shower. However, you shouldn’t expect to step outside and see it immediately. Your eyes need time to adjust to the darkness. So bring a blanket, chair or just lie in the grass, and get comfortable. Rice said that it will take about 20 to 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt and the meteors to appear.
The shower will peak Monday night though Rice said that we could potentially see meteors from Halley’s comet for two to three weeks after the peak.
