The eta Aquarid Meteor Shower - May 6th

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The eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on Saturday, May 6th. The best time to look, no matter where you live, is during the hours immediately before sunrise on Saturday morning. As usual, you will see more meteors from the dark countryside: get away from city lights if possible.

This is mainly a southern hemisphere shower, but northern observers can see it, too. Expected meteor rates: 5 to 10 per hour in the northern hemisphere, 20 to 60 per hour in the southern hemisphere. Latitudes between the equator and 30 degrees south are favored: this includes most of Australia, South America and southern Africa.

The Eta Aquarids are flakes of dust from Halley's Comet, which last visited Earth in 1986. Although the comet is now far away, beyond the orbit of Uranus, it left behind a stream of dust. Earth passes through the stream twice a year in May and October. In May we have the eta Aquarid meteor shower, in October the Orionids. Both are caused by Halley's Comet.

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