C-141 Kuiper Airborne Imagery of Comet Halley (New Zealand Expedition). Credit: Photo taken with equipment designed, installed on the headring and operated by the Charleston (South Carolina) County School District CAN DO Project
Despite the full moon lighting up the sky and washing out the faint meteors, this years eta Aquariid meteor shower is not one to miss. In terms of producing fireballs, NASA video camera information puts it # 6 among meteor showers.
How to View
The eta Aquariid meteor shower is viewable in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with greater rates of exposure to observers in the Southern Hemisphere. This is because of the glowings location in the constellation of Aquarius. Meteors will be observable after midnight, but the peak times are 3-4 a.m. up until dawn.
Regardless of your geographical location, youll wish to find an area well away from city lights for best viewing. Provide yourself about 30 minutes in the dark for your eyes to adapt– this indicates not taking a look at your phone. Avert from the moon and take in as much sky as possible.
A composite image showing a number of Eta Aquariid meteors from the NASA All Sky Fireball Network station in Mayhill, NM on 6 May 2013. Credit: NASA
The next major meteor showers will be the Perseids in August, and the sister show to the eta Aquariids, the Orionids in October.
Theres plenty more skygazing to do this month. Take a look at Whats Up in May from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory:
What are some skywatching highlights in May 2023? Venus reaches its highest point in the evening sky for the year, while Jupiter vanishes behind the Moon for some U.S. observers.
The eta Aquariid meteor shower, active throughout April and May, is set to peak on May 5 with a remarkable outburst year, including 120-160 meteors per hour. In spite of the moons brightness, the showers fireballs, caused by Earth coming across particles from Comet Halley, make it worth viewing. Credit: AMS Elizabeth Warner
The eta Aquariid meteor shower, peaking on the early morning of May 5, promises an outburst year with up to 160 meteors per hour. Regardless of the moon, intense fireballs make it worth seeing, specifically in the Southern Hemisphere in between 3-4 a.m. and dawn.
The eta Aquariid meteor shower is active throughout April and May, peaking in the pre-dawn hours of May 5. This year could be particularly impressive as an outburst year with 120-160 meteors per hour anticipated.
” A meteor shower is like a regular rain shower, with 50-60 meteors per hour,” said Bill Cooke, lead of NASAs Meteoroid Environments Office at the companys Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “An outburst resembles a thunderstorm, with greater than regular meteor activity anticipated. A meteor storm is like a twister, where meteor rates are over one thousand per hour.”
The eta Aquariid meteor shower, active throughout April and May, is set to peak on May 5 with an outstanding outburst year, including 120-160 meteors per hour.” A meteor shower is like a typical rain shower, with 50-60 meteors per hour,” said Bill Cooke, lead of NASAs Meteoroid Environments Office at the companys Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. A meteor storm is like a tornado, where meteor rates are over one thousand per hour.”
In spite of the full moon lighting up the sky and cleaning out the faint meteors, this years eta Aquariid meteor shower is not one to miss out on. The eta Aquariid meteor shower is viewable in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with greater rates of presence to observers in the Southern Hemisphere.
