The Eta Aquarid meteor shower soon will light the sky with debris from Halley's comet. But a bright moon will spoil the fun this year, making the display harder to glimpse.
The shower will peak Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Viewers from the Southern Hemisphere typically see 50 meteors per hour during the peak, but the interfering moon could cut that number by half. In the north, skywatchers will likely see fewer than 10 per hour.
“For us in the Northern Hemisphere, it's not going to be as impressive,” said Teri Gee, manager of the Barlow Planetarium in Wisconsin. “The farther south you are, the better you'll see it.”
Meteor showers happen when the Earth charges through trails of debris left behind from comets or asteroids. Those bits collide with Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds, producing streaks of light that are also known as shooting stars.
On any given night, a handful of stray meteors are visible under dark skies. Meteor showers yield a more exciting show and happen at predictable times every year.
Most meteor showers are caused by leftovers from comets, and the Eta Aquarids feature debris from one of the most well-known. Halley's comet passes by Earth about every 76 years on its trip around the sun. It'll next swing by in 2061.
To glimpse these meteors, it's best to go outside just before dawn. Venture away from city lights and tall buildings to get a clear view of the sky. In this case, it might also help to find a spot that blocks the luminous waning gibbous moon, which will be 84% full.
Bring blankets and lawn chairs. Avoid looking at your phone and give your eyes time to get used to the darkness. Look to the east in the vicinity of constellation Aquarius and bright star Eta Aquarii.
“You're looking for bright streaks that appear in the corner of your eye for a fraction of a second,” said astrophysicist Nico Adams with SSP International, a nonprofit that promotes STEM education.
There's no better way to enjoy the show than to experience it firsthand, Gee said.
“It almost feels like you're discovering it yourself,” she said.
