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The annual Eta Aquariid meteor shower ( also shout out the Eta Aquariids or Eta Aquarids ) will top out tonight and tomorrow ( May 5 - 6 ) , break skywatchers a chance to see " shooting star " in the night sky .
With the potential for up to 60meteorsper minute , it ’s an exciting prospect for anyone with dark and clear sky , though your positioning will make a cock-a-hoop difference in what you ’ll see . However , this meteoroid shower has a extensive peak , so it ’s potential to see shoot stars in the nights just before and after the summit .
Up to 60 meteors per hour may be visible from the Southern Hemisphere during the Eta Aquariid meteor shower.
According toEarthSky , viewers in the Southern Hemisphere and more southwards piece of the Northern Hemisphere , such as Southern U.S. commonwealth , will get the good views . That ’s because the Eta Aquariids appear to issue forth from the configuration Aquarius , which is higher in the sky the farther south it ’s observed from this time of twelvemonth . The precise " refulgent point , " as astronomers call it , is the star Eta Aquarii , fit in toTime and Date .
With up to 60 meteors per 60 minutes under perfect condition during the apex Nox , the Eta Aquariids are considered a strong meteoroid shower , but only when viewed from the tropics and S of the equator . According to theAmerican Meteor Society , between 10 and 30 meteors per time of day are expect just before dawn for viewing audience northerly of the equator .
Related : How to photograph a shooting star rain shower
The lunation ’s brightness can greatly touch the chances of discover vague meteors . On Tuesday ( May 6 ) , a 63%-illuminated full humped moon will specify in the other hours , making the predawn hours the best time to watch for meteors . ( May ’s full " Flower Moon " rises on the 12th ) .
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From the northerly U.S. , Canada and Europe , the radiant will remain low on the horizon , define the number of visible meteor . Although that means fewer meteors , they may be seen as " Earthgrazers , " — meteors with long trails behind them that seem to skim the purview , harmonise toNASA .
The Eta Aquariids materialize when Earth passes through dust and debris impart behind in the innersolar systembyHalley ’s Comet . As our major planet moves through this flow of cosmic junk , bantam particles run into the atmosphere at speeding of about 40.7 nautical mile per second ( 65.4 kilometre per second ) , according to the American Meteor Society . Halley ’s Comet , which was last in Earth ’s vicinity in 1986 and will return in 2061 , is also responsible for for the Orionid shooting star cascade , which will peak overnight on Oct. 20 - 21 this year .
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