How to catch the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, debris of Halley's comet
When this meteor shower lights up the night sky, 'you'll know that Earth is crossing the path of the most famous comet,' said Shauna Edson of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
The Eta Aquarids are 'pretty fast meteors' said NASA's Bill Cooke.
During Tuesday morning's peak, expect to see 10 to 15 meteors per hour in ideal viewing conditions, said Cooke.
However, the moon will be nearly two-thirds full, which will likely reduce visibility.
Viewing lasts until May 28. Here's what to know about the Eta Aquarids and other meteor showers.
What is a meteor shower?
As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Eta Aquarids is debris from Halley's comet.
When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up.
Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail — the end of a 'shooting star.'
You don't need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights.
How to view a meteor shower
The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky.
Competing sources of light — such as a bright moon or artificial glow — are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities.
And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren't checking your phone.
When is the next meteor shower?
The next major meteor shower, the Southern Delta Aquarids, peaks in late July.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
X-ray telescope finds something unexpected with the 'heartbeat black hole'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A black hole's bizarre "heartbeat" is forcing astronomers to reconsider how these cosmic heavyweights behave. Observations of IGR J17091-3624 — a black hole in a binary system roughly 28,000 light-years from Earth — were taken using NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). Nicknamed the "heartbeat" black hole for its dramatic, rhythmic pulses in brightness, the object feeds on matter stolen from a companion star. The black hole's pulses are the result of fluctuations in the superheated plasma swirling around it (also known as the accretion disk) and the inner region called the corona, which can reach extreme temperatures and radiate incredibly luminous X-rays. IXPE measured the polarization — the direction of the black hole's X-rays — to determine the alignment of its vibrations. The space probe recorded a surprising 9.1% polarization degree, which is much higher than theoretical models predicted, according to a statement from NASA. Studying the polarization degree offers insight about the geometry of the black hole and motion of matter nearby. Typically, such high readings suggest the corona is viewed almost edge-on, where its structure appears highly ordered. However, other observations of IGR J17091-3624 don't seem to match that picture, leaving scientists with a puzzling contradiction. Astronomers tested two different models to help explain the recent observations of IGR J17091-3624. One posits that powerful winds are being launched from the accretion disk, scattering X-rays into a more polarized state even without an edge-on perspective. The other suggests the corona itself is moving outward at extraordinary speeds, causing relativistic effects that amplify polarization. Simulations of both scenarios reproduce the IXPE results, but each model challenges long-held assumptions about black hole environments. "These winds are one of the most critical missing pieces to understand the growth of all types of black holes," Maxime Parra, co-author of the study from Ehime University in Matsuyama, Japan, said in the statement. "Astronomers could expect future observations to yield even more surprising polarization degree measurements." Their findings were published May 27 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
11 hours ago
- USA Today
A 'groundbreaking' ocean discovery may be a clue about extraterrestrial life
Scientists say the findings help explain how life can exist in extreme environments using the chemical compound methane instead of sunlight. Strange animals that get their energy from chemical reactions instead of the sun have been discovered at the bottom of ocean trenches up to 31,000 feet deep in the northwest Pacific between Russia and Alaska, a new study reports. Scientists say the findings shed new light on the potential for life to exist in extreme environments using the chemical compound methane instead of sunlight. The animals were discovered by researchers using a human-crewed submersible vehicle. "What makes our discovery groundbreaking is not just its greater depth – it's the astonishing abundance and diversity of chemosynthetic life we observed," said marine geochemist Mengran Du of the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the authors of the research published July 30 in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature. The authors suggest that similar communities may be more widespread than previously thought, and their findings challenge views about how the ecosystems might be supported. "Even though living in the harshest environment, these life forms found their way in surviving and thriving," Du said. To some, the findings prompt questions about the potential for finding life on other planets. Marine geologist and study co-author Xiaotong Peng said "we suggest that similar chemosynthetic communities may also exist in extraterrestrial oceans, as chemical species like methane and hydrogen are common there." Could this kind of life be found on other planets? Du told USA TODAY that similar chemosynthetic life forms could exist on Jupiter's moon Europa, or even Saturn's moon Enceladus. Europa might be the most likely: "Europa's ocean is considered one of the most promising places in the solar system to look for life beyond Earth," according to NASA. "There is very strong evidence that the ingredients for life exist on Europa," said planetary scientist Bonnie Buratti of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who was not part of this study. At the bottom of Europa's ocean, where the water meets the rocky mantle, there may be thermal vents where heat releases chemical energy. "They may be similar to thermal vents in the deep oceans of the Earth where primitive life exists and where life may have originated on the Earth," Buratti said. Europa Clipper will tell us more NASA hopes the Europa Clipper spacecraft will help "determine whether (Europa's) subsurface ocean harbors a habitable environment," Buratti said. She added that the current thinking is that life arose in the depth's of the Earth's oceans, so seeking a similar environment on Europa is the first step to answering questions about undersea life on other planets or moons. "Europa is the first ocean world to be studied in detail. Other bodies in the Solar System, such as Titan, Enceladus, possibly Ganymede and even Pluto, as well as many exoplanets or exomoons could also harbor habitable environments similar to those on Earth," she told USA TODAY. "We'll know much more after we get some results from Europa Clipper, starting in 2030." More: NASA's Europa Clipper launches in search for 'ingredients of life' on Jupiter's icy moon On Earth, amazing deep sea tube worms and clams Researchers found animal communities – dominated by tube worms and clams – during a series of dives to the bottom of the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian trenches. The ecosystems were discovered at depths greater than the height of Mount Everest, Earth's tallest peak. The deepest one was 31,276 feet below the ocean surface in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. This was almost 25% deeper than such animals had previously been documented anywhere on Earth. This environment harbors "the deepest and the most extensive chemosynthetic communities known to exist on our planet," said marine geologist and study co-author Xiaotong Peng. The study reported that organisms such as these that live in extreme environments need to adapt to produce energy in different ways. Known as "chemosynthesis-based communities," they derive their energy from chemical reactions rather than from photosynthesis, which requires sunlight. Such communities can be found in deep sea habitats where chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide and methane seep from the sea floor, according to the study. Contributing: Reuters
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Forbes
Six-Planet Parade On Sunday: When And Where To See It By A Crescent Moon
Early risers are this week being treated to the sight of a 'planet parade' in the eastern sky before sunrise featuring Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and the moon. Best seen about an hour before sunrise on Sunday, Aug. 17, Saturn will be visible in the south, with the moon high above the east, accompanied by bright planets Jupiter and Venus below. Mercury could also be glimpsed below Venus in the gathering light of dawn. Uranus and Neptune will also be in the sky but not visible to the naked eye. From Aug. 17–21, a spectacular 'planet parade' (also called an alignment) will feature the moon and six planets. getty About an hour before sunrise, a 36%-lit waning crescent moon will shine high above Jupiter and Venus in the eastern sky. Mercury will hug the eastern horizon and be easier to spot closer to sunrise, though it's on the cusp of reaching its farthest position from the sun from Earth's point of view. Jupiter will be the highest of the visible planets, while Venus will blaze brightest between Jupiter and Mercury. Saturn will be visible in the southern sky. The ringed planet is currently brightening as it nears its annual bright 'opposition' on Sept. 21, when Earth will be between Saturn and the sun. The highlight of this week's 'planet parade' will arguably come on Wednesday, Aug. 20, when a slender crescent moon will shine very close to a brilliant Venus. The next 'planet parade' isn't until October 2028, when five planets will be visible together before sunrise. Sunday, August 17: A 'Planet Parade' Stellarium Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is hard to miss in this morning's sky. It will spend the rest of the year rising higher into the morning sky and won't come to a bright opposition this year. It's an occasional consequence of its 13-year orbit around the sun. Jupiter will next be at its biggest, brightest and best on Jan. 10, 2026. Through binoculars or a telescope, you can glimpse some of its largest moons — Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto — lined up like tiny stars. The 'planet parade' will look much the same on Monday, Aug. 18, when a slimmer 26% crescent moon will glow near Venus and Jupiter. On Tuesday, Aug. 19, Mercury will be at its highest in the morning sky as the moon wanes to 16%-lit and forms a curve with Venus and Jupiter. On Wednesday, Aug. 20, a 9%-lit crescent moon will appear very close to Venus, with Mercury below and Jupiter above in what is perhaps the highlight of the week-long event. Come Thursday, Aug. 21, the slender 4%-lit waning crescent moon will be beneath Jupiter and Venus, close to Mercury. What's Next In The Night Sky With the 'planet parade' over on Aug. 22 as Mercury sinks, Saturn and Jupiter will gradually brighten as Venus begins to fade. Before sunrise on Aug. 31, Venus will be positioned within the Beehive Cluster, a dense cluster of stars that looks great through binoculars. Further Reading Forbes 'Planet Parade' Myths Debunked And How To Truly See It — By A Stargazer By Jamie Carter Forbes Your Ultimate Guide To Meteor Showers And The Perseids — By An Expert By Jamie Carter Forbes NASA Urges Public To Leave The City As Milky Way Appears — 15 Places To Go By Jamie Carter
