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The Eta Aquarid meteor shower bath will peak this weekend , bring in up to 50 " shooting sensation " per hour to the sky Saturday night and early Sunday ( May 4 - 5 ) . The yearly meteor cascade may have increase rates this class thanks to the gravitational influence ofJupiter , according to theAmerican Meteor Society .
" Shooting stars " are make bymeteoroids . As these flyspeck particles strike Earth ’s atmosphere , they ignite up and vaporize , releasing energy visible as streak of light in the night sky . The Eta Aquarids move at a swift 40.7 miles per 2d ( 65.5 kilometers per second ) , and there are typically between 10 and 30 visible each hr during the peak night .
A time-lapse image of a meteor shower over China. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, linked to the debris of Halley’s comet, peaks this weekend.
degraded meteors can leave glowing " trains " that last several seconds to minutes , according toNASA . The Eta Aquarid shooting star appear to emanate from the configuration Aquarius , which is where they got their name . This constellation is high in the sky in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere , so " Earthgrazers " — meteors that skim over the horizon — are probable to be seen north of the equator .
Although this weekend ’s peak offers the highest frequency of meteors , the Eta Aquarids are dynamic from April 15 to May 27 .
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The visibility of shooting stars depends a lot on themoon ’s phases . Luckily , a waning crescent lunar month will arise just before sunrise on May 5 , meaning no strong moonshine will interfere with the peak of the Eta Aquarids this year . That make it a good year to chance a locating with as littlelight pollutionas potential , though a clear sky is also required . Stargazing binocularsandbackyard telescopesare in the main not recommended for assure meteor cascade , as you ’ll want to let your eye take in the whole sky to research for shooting mavin .
The root cause of the Eta Aquarids is Halley ’s comet , which last entered the innersolar systemin 1986 and will enter it next in 2061 . The cometreached its furthest full stop from the sunin December 2023 , and is now headed our way again .
For the practiced chance to see " shooting stars , " be out in the predawn hours and let your eyes to adjust to the dark . dark vision can take about 30 minutes to acquire .
