Latest news with #AlphaCapricornids
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
When is best time to see Halley's comet - Eta Aquarid meteor shower tonight? How to watch
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower will light up the sky Monday, May 5 with a chance to see pieces of Halley's comet streak through the night sky. Here's what to know and when to watch. The annual Eta Aquarid showers are best known for their fast and bright meteors traveling at speeds of 40.7 miles per second. They are caused by debris left by Halley's comet when Earth passes through its orbit. Eta Aquarids will be the last major meteor shower until the Southern Delta Aquarids and Alpha Capricornids peak simultaneously between July 29 and July 30, according to the American Meteor Society. This year's Eta Aquarid shower could give stargazers the opportunity to see up to 50 meteors per hour pass swiftly across the sky and leaving glowing 'trains' during its peak tonight, according to NASA. Here's what to know about tonight's shooting stars, when and how to watch. When is the Eta Aquarid meteor shower? The Eta Aquarids are active from April 20 to May 21, and are set to peak between May 5-6 in 2025. While approximately 10 meteors per hour may be observed during the night skies between April 20 through May 21, NASA reports up to 50 meteors per hour may be visible during its peak between May 5-6. What is the Eta Aquarid meteor shower? The Eta Aquarids, or Eta Aquariids, is an annual shower of meteors shooting through the night sky as they come into Earth's atmosphere. When comets come around the sun, they leave a dusty trail of particles and bits of broken asteroids, NASA explains, and every year when Earth passes through these debris trails during its orbit, the bits 'collide with its atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.' The debris that causes the Eta Aquarid meteor shower originates from comet 1P/Halley, which takes about 76 years to orbit the Sun. The infamous Comet Halley is not expected to enter the inner solar system again until 2061. How to watch the Eta Aquarid meteor shower? To best view the Eta Aquarids, find an area well away from city lights or street lights. On a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair, lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible, according to NASA. It may take about 30 minutes in the dark for your eyes to adapt and then you will begin to see meteors. It will be an all-night show of spectacular shooting stars. This article originally appeared on When to see Halley's comet? Best time to watch meteor shower tonight
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Where and when to see meteor showers according to Greenwich astronomer
There's a bunch of meteor showers coming up this spring and an astronomer from Greenwich has the low down on how you can see them. Jessica Lee is an astronomer and educator at Greenwich's Royal Observatory which is currently marking its 350th anniversary this year, and she has top tips on the showers in the upcoming months. Meteor showers are always a visual marvel to see in our night skies and this spring many of us are set to see quite a few, starting with the Lyrids shower from mid-April. A meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through a cloud of debris from either a comet or asteroid, and this debris, or rock, gets so hot that it glows, appearing to us as shooting stars or meteors. According to Jessica, living in London with its bright city lights can make seeing meteor showers more challenging, with some of the fainter ones more difficult to see. However, brighter meteor showers are easier to spot even in very light polluted areas from London. But if you don't want to miss anything, Jessica recommends taking a trip to a darker area like a field or even the countryside for a chance to see a lot more. The next meteor shower technically visible from London is the Lyrids, which will reach its peak on April 22. The predicted hourly rate of meteors is around 18, equating to one about every 3 minutes. Some of those will be too faint to see from London, or will occur out of your line of sight, so Jessica recommends waiting in one area for a longer period of time for a chance to see one. Jessica added that one of her 'favourite' showers to see this year is the Perseids, which will take place in August with up to 150 meteors per hour. The best way to spot meteor showers is through the naked eye, with open areas like a field or park being the best options if they are accessible to you. Jessica also added that it's best to go out as late as possible and wait for longer periods of time, as these meteors tend to appear sporadically throughout the sky and usually only last for a few seconds. Here's a full list of all the upcoming meteor showers this year: Lyrids: When? Between April 16 - April 22 Expected peak: April 22 Eta Aquariids: When? Between April 19 - May 28 Expected peak: May 5 Alpha Capricornids: When? Between July 3 - August 15 Expected peak: July 30 Delta Aquariids: When? Between July 12 - August 23 Expected peak: July 30 Perseids: When? Between July 17 - August 24 Expected peak: August 12 Draconids: When? Between October 6-10 Expected peak: October 8 Orionids: When? Between October 2 - November 7 Expected peak: October 22 Taurids (Southern): When? Between September 10 - November 20 Expected peak: October 10 Taurids (Northern): When? Between October 20 - December 10 Expected peak: November 12 Leonids: When? Between November 6-30 Expected peak: November 17 Geminids: When? Between December 4-20 Expected peak: December 14 Ursids: When? Between December 17-26 Expected peak: December 22
