When to see the ETA Aquarids meteor shower from Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Stuart
The meteor shower will be visible across the globe, including in Florida, peaking on May 5 and May 6. However, the meteor shower started on April 19, according to the American Meteor Society.
Here's what to know about the celestial events kicking off this week and when the best times to head outside to watch them will be.
The Aquarids — sometimes spelled "Aquariids" — follows closely on the heels of the Lyrid meteors less than two weeks ago, and is the final meteor shower for more than two months.
The meteors reliably become most active around early May each year as Earth passes through debris left by the famous Halley's comet.
The Aquarids will peak between May 5 and May 6 as Earth passes through the densest part of Halley's cosmic debris, according to the American Meteor Society. While the meteors won't be as bright or dazzling after the peak, stargazers could still catch some up until about May 28.
The best view is actually in the Southern Hemisphere. Since the Treasure Coast is in the Northern Hemisphere, the meteors will appear as "Earthgrazers," or long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon, according to NASA.
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Look low on the horizon. It's best to lie on your back, with your feet facing east, NASA said.
Look for an unobstructed view away from lights. It'll take about 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness for you to be able to see the meteors.
Meteor showers like the Eta Aquarids don't have a specific time to head outside and watch in the same sense as something like an eclipse, the Pensacola News Journal reported.
The best shot at catching a glimpse of the Eta Aquarid meteors is when it's darkest outside, with NASA suggesting going out at 2 a.m. on May 6 to watch, and in a spot away from light pollution.
Visibility is dependent on sky conditions and cloud coverage. The National Weather Service shared graphics showing the cloud forecast across the U.S. overnight for both May 5 and May 6.
Click below to see the visibility in these three Treasure Coast cities, according to Time and Date AS, which did not have information for Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach or Palm City:
Port St. Lucie
Stuart
Vero Beach
Halley's comet, which takes about 76 years for each orbit of the sun, won't be seen again by casual observers until 2061, after it was last sighted in 1986.
Despite its rare appearance on Earth, Halley's impact is still present at least twice a year when we enter its debris path — first during the ETA Aquarids in May and then again during the Orionids every October.
Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene.
Brandon Girod contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: ETA Aquarids meteor shower visibility from Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach
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