Debris from Halley's Comet will streak across the night sky as Aquarids meteor shower next week

Boston Globe

30-04-2025

Because the Eta Aquarids are rather swift meteors, traveling at 40.7 miles per second into the Earth's atmosphere, they can also leave glowing dust trains — incandescent bits of debris — in their wake.
Advertisement
According to NASA, the Aquarids are also among those meteors called 'earthgrazers' because they are long and appear to skim the Earth's surface at the horizon.
'A first quarter moon (or half moon) will set long before the radiant rises so circumstances are excellent for viewing this shower,' the American Meteor Society said.
Despite its famous origins, this meteor shower won't necessarily be 'better' than others.
'It's a neat connection to a famous comet, but in terms of spectacle, this meteor shower is neither better nor worse than others,' said Paul Withers, a Boston University astronomy professor.
They produce a high percentage of persistent dust trains, but few fireballs, according to the American Meteor Society.
Halley's Comet, the first comet recognized as having a repeating orbit around the sun, was last seen in Earth's skies in 1986 and will return in 2061 on its regular 76-year journey around the sun.
Advertisement
In a photo from NASA, Halley's comet is seen during its closest approach to the inner solar system in 1986.
NASA/NYT
According to NASA, a comet the size of Halley's Comet loses an estimated 3 to 10 feet of material from the surface of its nucleus with each orbit around the sun.
How to view a meteor shower
Multiple meteor showers occur annually, and you don't need special equipment to see them. Although visible from dusk to dawn, experts say the best time to view them is from midnight till sunrise.
For the best chance to see them, take a sleeping bag or lawn chair and find a spot far from light pollution.
'Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors,' according to NASA.
Experts caution that it could take some time before you catch a glimpse of the meteor shower, but say it's well worth the wait. And time is on your side since the show lasts until dawn.
'With meteor showers, patience is key. Bring a blanket, head somewhere dark, and expect to wait between sightings,' said Ryan French, a solar astrophysicist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado. 'You might see 10 notable meteors in an hour.'
Weather forecast
It's still too early to forecast cloud cover May 5-6, but we do have some idea of the conditions that could be in place. A pocket of high pressure is likely to be near New England, although it remains to be seen whether that area will push far enough south to clear out the clouds for much of the region and bump an offshore storm.
Advertisement
As of now, we can expect at least partly cloudy skies across New England, with the chance for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut to be closer to mostly cloudy. Lows across New England Monday night are likely to slip to the low and mid-40s.
Up next: Perseid Meteor Shower, peaking Aug. 12-13
If you miss the Aquarid meteor shower, you will have another opportunity to marvel at sand-sized comet debris busting through Earth's atmosphere and lighting up the night's sky, with the arrival of the popular Perseid meteor shower, which peaks Aug. 12-13.
'The two best meteor showers of the year are the Perseids in August and the Geminids in December, both of which tend to be brighter and more active,' said French. Every Perseid meteor is a tiny piece of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which swings by the sun every 135 years.
Perseids meteors streak over Sequoia National Forest in 2023.
Preston Dyches/NASA
The Perseids are active from July 14 to Sept. 1 each year but reach a 'strong maximum' Aug. 12-13, according to the American Meteor Society.
You can see 50 to 75 meteors per hour in rural areas. If you live in a big city, those numbers are drastically lower due to light pollution limiting the number of meteors you can see.
Marianne Mizera can be reached at