Latest news with #EtaAquariids'
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
What is the Eta Aquariids meteor shower? And where and when can I see it in Australia?
Stargazers and early risers are in for a stellar show this week, with one of the biggest meteor showers in the southern hemisphere due to light up the skies. The meteors — called the Eta Aquariids – pass through the atmosphere every year, but 2025 is due to be particularly luminous as the moon won't be visible when they arrive. Here's how to catch a view of the celestial delight. The Eta Aquariids are caused by earth passing through debris left behind by Halley's Comet hundreds of years ago. Dr Rebecca McElroy, an astrophysicist from the University of Southern Queensland, said Earth passes through the debris field every year. As the bits of rock and dust hit the atmosphere at high speeds, they burn up and create bright streaks – creating what we call meteors. 'Meteors tend to look like a bright streak going by, like a shooting star, but more,' McElroy said. 'Occasionally they happen just randomly – when something of a high density is in our path.' It is known as 'Eta Aquariids' because of the part of the sky in which the meteors appear – which is near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation of Aquarius. The good thing is this particular meteor shower not only happens every year, but spans over multiple days. McElroy said Wednesday 7 May would be the 'best day' for stargazers, with around two dozen meteors expected to pass per hour. But if it happens to be cloudy that day, you won't blink and miss it. The shower will continue to have a strong showing on the days preceding and following 7 May, before tapering off at the end of the month. 'Often these things are quite short lived … it'll peak this week but it will continue,' McElroy said. Unfortunately, though, the best viewing window is between 3am and 5am – 'not for the faint hearted or those who feel the cold'. If you happen to find yourself awake in the early dawn, though, you're in luck. The Eta Aquariids can be viewed anywhere in the world, but they are best seen from the southern hemisphere where the shower will rise in the pre-dawn, darkened sky. In Australia, every state and territory will be able to witness the display. But McElroy said areas with the lowest light pollution would have the greatest visibility – such as Uluru and remote parts of the Northern Territory. 'These things aren't enormously bright, so you want to get away from as much light pollution as you can,' McElroy said. 'If you're in the city, get into the suburbs and away from bright lights.' Australia is lucky. McElroy said the best skies she's seen have been Down Under and in Chile because they look towards the centre of the Milky Way. 'In the northern hemisphere, you spend most of the year looking to the outskirts, but our winter happens to have the Milky Way's centre up in sky, and parts of Australia are very dark with a lot of protected [areas], like national parks,' she said. After heading outside, McElroy said you should first 'check the weather … That's the most important part. If it's cloudy you're not going to see anything, which is the curse of astronomy'. Then, turn off any porch or external lights and look away from bright street lights or your phone – which resets our daytime vision. 'Our eyes have a high dynamic range, and it takes 10 to 20 minutes to adjust to the night sky,' McElroy said. 'Grab a blanket, have a lie down and stay out there for an hour.' The constellation of Aquarius, where the meteors will appear, are in the north-east of the sky. Apps such as Star Mapper or Stellarium can help display the correct spot – but make sure you keep your brightness down. There are four meteor showers similar to Eta Aquariids which occur throughout the year – most notably, the Orionids meteor shower, which is also caused by the Halley's Comet debris trail and happens in October. But McElroy said meteor showers can also be a great gateway to look at the rest of the sky. 'A meteor shower is great, but we are blessed with fantastic skies in Australia, especially in the winter,' she said. 'We will be able to see whole band of Milky Way, and if you stay outside for longer, you'll see more and more fainter stars light up. You can look for the Southern Cross, spot some star clusters or the Emu constellation. 'Come for the meteors, stay for the Milky Way.'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to Watch the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower This Week
Flowers are blooming and the stars are zooming! Spring has officially sprung and the cosmos is active with two overlapping meteor showers, supermoons, and now, the peak of the Eta Aquariids at the start of May. According to NASA, the Eta Aquariids are "known for their speed" with a velocity of 40.7 miles (65.4 kilometers) per second. It might've seemed like. Under perfect conditions, approximately 10 meteors per hour can be seen from Earth from mid-April to mid-May. Meanwhile, it may have seemed like even more last month due to the rare event that saw the Lyrids Meteor shower peak on April 21 and 22. Still, there's a chance that way more than 10 meteors will be visible from Earth at the Eta Aquariids' peak. Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits of broken asteroids. A dusty trail is left behind when comets approach the sun — so when Earth passes through this trail and the debris collides with our atmosphere, they disintegrate to form fiery streaks in the sky. For how to watch the Eta Aquariids from Earth, read on! Related: 3 Zodiac Signs Are Getting Swept Up in a Fantasy as Venus Conjuncts Neptune in Aries The Eta Aquariids peak between Monday, May 5, and Tuesday, May 6, 2025. However, they have been active since April 20 and will continue to shoot until May 21. Related: May's First Quarter Moon Is Turning Up the Heat and 4 Zodiac Signs Are Put to the Test The Eta Aquarids are visible during the pre-dawn hours in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, though the latter location is preferable for viewing. This is due to its radiant from different latitudes. Eta Aquarid meteors are often viewed as "Earthgrazers," per NASA. "Earthgrazers are long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon." While there's a chance to spot a meteor anywhere in the night sky, stargazers should look around the constellation Aquarius. This is the Eta Aquarids' radiant, the point from where the stars appear to derive. It's best to point your eyes to the sky before dawn for increased chances of spotting a meteor. At its peak, there's a chance upwards of 50 Eta Aquariids can be seen. Of course, this is all dependent upon Mother Nature. That means perfect weather conditions (no rain, no clouds, no fog) are needed, in addition to zero light pollution from surrounding city lights that will drown out the celestial spectacle in the night sky. Related: Your May 2025 Horoscope Sparks Change and 3 Zodiac Signs Are Fulfilling Their Destiny The next meteor shower to be active after the Eta Aquariid meteor shower is the Southern Delta Aquariids, which will shoot from July 18 to Aug. 12 this year. Read the original article on People
NDTV
05-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower To Dazzle Stargazers. Where, When And How To See It
Stargazers are in for a treat as the Eta Aquariid meteor shower is set to illuminate the UK skies, peaking on May 6, 2025. Active since April 19, this annual spectacle will continue until May 28, offering a chance to spot "shooting stars" and potentially dazzling fireballs. According to NASA, the Eta Aquariids are created by debris from Halley's Comet, and Earth's passage through this trail results in the spectacular meteor display. Under ideal conditions like dark skies and minimal moonlight, observers can see 10-30 meteors per hour in the Northern Hemisphere and up to 60 in the Southern Hemisphere. The meteors are fast, moving at about 66 km/s, and often leave glowing trails. About the Meteor Shower The Eta Aquariid meteors, which peak during early May each year, are notable for their incredible speed, entering Earth's atmosphere at approximately 40.7 miles (65.4 kilometres) per second. This rapid movement can create glowing "trains" of incandescent debris that linger for several seconds to minutes after the meteor has passed. During the Eta Aquariids' peak, observers can expect to see around 50 meteors per hour. The meteor shower will peak the night of Monday (May 5) into the morning hours of Tuesday (May 6), according to NASA. The best time to watch the meteor shower is at 2 am local time on May 6. How to see the Eta Aquarid shower? For optimal viewing, find a dark location away from city lights and streetlights, and plan to watch between midnight and dawn when the meteor activity is highest. Bring a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair to make your viewing experience comfortable, and allow 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark. You won't need binoculars or a telescope, as this shower will be visible with the naked eye. Look towards the eastern sky, where the radiant point lies low in the constellation of Aquarius. Although the moon's waxing gibbous phase might interfere with viewing, try to spot meteors before the moon rises or use a building to block the moonlight. "Look away from the Moon, and give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Avoid looking at bright lights, such as your cell phone, too, as this will take your eyes off the sky and ruin your night vision", said NASA. Weather forecast ahead of the event The UK is set for a great view of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower on Sunday night into early Monday morning, with largely clear skies expected across much of the country. However, eastern England and Scotland may experience some patchy cloud, while Shetland and Orkney are likely to see increasing cloud cover, making viewing conditions more challenging, BBC Weather reported. Despite the clear skies, it will be a chilly morning, with temperatures ranging from 5 to 7°C in many areas and potentially near freezing in rural locations, accompanied by a fresh north-easterly wind. To make the most of this astronomical event, stargazers should dress warmly, find a dark spot with minimal light pollution, and look towards the eastern sky between midnight and dawn when meteor activity is highest.
