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Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Here's How and When You Can See the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower
The night sky during the Eta Aquariid meteor shower in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, on May 5, 2024. Credit - Thilina Kaluthotage—Getty Images The weeks-long Eta Aquariid meteor shower is about to reach its peak, and people across both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres will have the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular event, which is visible to the naked eye. Here's what people need to know in order to get the best glimpse at the Eta Aquariids. The Eta Aquariids meteor shower peaks in May of each year, per NASA. These meteors are specifically known for their speed, and Eta Aquariid meteors can travel about 40.7 miles (65.4 kilometers) per second into Earth's atmosphere, leaving trails behind them which observers can view for several seconds to minutes. The Eta Aquariids are created from space debris that originate from comet 1P/Halley—often considered the most famous comet. Each time Halley returns to the inner solar system, it sprays ice and rock, and though Halley only makes its way around the Sun every 76 years or so, its debris causes two different meteor showers each year: the Eta Aquariid meteor shower in May and the Orionids in October. While expert viewpoints differ as to the exact dates and peak times, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the Eta Aquariids have been active since April 15, and are expected to remain so until May 27. They are set to peak on the mornings of May 4, 5, and 6. These are the ideal mornings for those in the Northern Hemisphere to view the meteor shower, and under optimal conditions—meaning without city lights—observers should be able to see about 10 to 15 Eta Aquariids per in the United States that boast lower instances of light pollution—such as national parks like Big Bend in Texas or Death Valley in California—will have prime viewing opportunities. Although safety precautions should be paramount for skywatchers venturing into the great outdoors. However, those in the Southern Hemisphere will have optimal viewing opportunities, and, if lucky, could see over 50 meteors per hour. According to NASA, the best time to watch will be at 2 a.m. local time on May 6. It's recommended that viewers give their eyes some time—around 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,' reads the guidance from NASA. Viewers do not need telescopes or any special equipment to enjoy the event, but the darker the sky, the easier it will be to view the meteor shower, and the AMS states that even 'a gain of one magnitude in sky darkness can lead to a doubling of observed meteors.' So, it is suggested for those near city lights to travel away from the brightly-lit streets. Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
The 5 Best U.S. Places to View the Eta Aquariids Meteor Showers in 2025
PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and some items may be gifted to us. Additionally, PureWow may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here. You can learn more about that process here. Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Read the original article on Purewow. Last year, the travel craze was for solar eclipse destinations. This year, the opportunities are a little more…explosive. Yep, we're talking blazing hunks of comets, aka meteor showers, which will be especially brilliant this spring. Astrotourism—aka stargazing vacations—continues to gain popularity, and the upcoming Eta Aquariids meteor showers, predicted to start mid-April through mid-May 2025, are going to be a bucket-list worthy trip, with potentially dozens of clear meteors visible per hour, thanks to the peak happening during a waning moon. Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids. When comets orbit around the Sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them. Every year Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky. The Eta Aquariids meteor shower results from debris left by Halley's comet, which won't itself be visible to us again until 2061. Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto via Getty Images According to the American Meteor Society, the span of the Eta Aquariids shower is April 19th, 2025 to May 28th, 2025. The shower's peak is on the night of May 5, 2025, when the moon will be 64 percent full; however, viewing conditions just before dawn, when the moon has already set but the sky is still dark, will be optimum for medium rates of 10 to 30 visible trains per hour just before dawn.(Note, according to NASA, meteor trains are 'incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor.') Due to the comet trail's positioning in the sky, the best place to see the show for people in the U.S. is in the southern half of the country. There, you'll be able to see 10 to 20 meteors per hour, low on the horizon under a dark sky. So finding a light-free place to view it, then setting your alarm for a few hours before the sunrise, is the best strategy. Here are a set of Dark Sky Places (outdoor spots devoted to limiting artificial nighttime light) that are southern enough in the U.S. to get the best meteor viewing for the eta Aquariids Meteor Shower in 2025. And note: Earthsky says heightened meteor activity will be observable both before and after peak shower time (for you exact types, that's 15 UTC on May 5), so don't stress if your vacay time isn't exactly on that day. Airbnb Death valley is far enough south to see the meteors, as well as easterly enough to avoid the coastal lights of developed California. It has some of the darkest skies in North America and has private homes and luxe hotels to choose from. And through May, you're good to visit since the weather has not yet turned deadly hot. As with all isolated lands (aka, areas without light pollution) check with the national park service or other local intel before driving out, to make sure you're not impeded or imperiled by a closed road. Tiny home in Lone Pine, California (2 guests, from $194/night); Entire home in Amargosa Valley, Nevada (4 guests, from $236/night); Death Valley Hot Springs Airstream (2 guests, from $115/night) Airbnb This section of West Texas is Dark Sky-certified and so far south you're practically in Mexico. It's a land of bobcats, burrowing mammals and rivers cutting through limestone canyons. Hiking, four-wheeling and epic birdwatching are some of your daytime activities, while at night, it's just you and the Milky Way. Pickleball Cabin with Outdoor Kitchen (2 guests, $180/night); Shipping container in Terlingua (2 guests, from $243/night); Willow Mountain Vista in Terlingua (5 guests; $410/night) Airbnb Kissimmee Prairie Preserve is under three hours from major population centers (7 million Floridians live within a three-hour drive) but you'll feel you're way more isolated. It's as though you've jumped back in time to the pre-development days when the Florida dry prairie ecosystem was still intact. Recognized as Florida's first Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association in 2016, the lack of light pollution as well as preponderance of sawgrass and alligators make this a step into Old Florida. You're two hours south of Disney here, as well as an hour and 15 minutes from Vero Beach, an especially lovely, quiet and upscale beach community. Okeechobee cottage in a hammock (8 guests; from $205/night); Riverfront Beach Retreat in Melbourne Fl (2 guests, from $271/night); Casita Luna guesthouse in Ft. Pierce, FL (2 guests, from $100/night) Airbnb You're headed for the eastern edge of the park, away from the lights of Palm Springs and Morongo, in this biodiverse park known for its namesake, a Yucca plant that grows treelike with arms reaching skyward. Hiking, rock climbing and yes, great dining in Palm Springs are part of the fun here. Sauna Retreat Home with Pool (8 guests, from $338/night); Artist home with fire pit (6 guests, from $190/night); Joshua Tree home tub home (2 guests, from $178/night) Airbnb This is the largest blackwater wetland in the South, with Spanish moss-laced trees and cypress knees jutting upward from swamp waters. Paddle past alligators, turtles, black bears, deer, ibis, storks and more red- in the 438,000-acre park…and at night, gaze up to very dark skies. The nearest town is 45 minutes away, so you may as well stay in Fernandina Beach over on the Florida Coast, an hour and 45 minutes away, and get the best of the southeast in one trip. Fernandina Beach guesthouse (2 guests, from $185/night), Charming cottage with bunk beds in Fernandina Beach (4 guests, fraom $200/night); 5-Minute Walk to Beach Condo (4 guests, from $330/night) The 20 Best Beach Towns in Florida (Because You Need to Get Away from Here)
