The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is expected to peak in the predawn hours of May 4 in Kamloops and the Okanagan.
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April 30, 2024 - 7:00 AM
The annual Eta Aquarids meteor shower has been amping up since the middle of April and will reach its peak later this week.
The moon is waxing from a new moon to a quarter moon this week, giving a great opportunity to view the night sky in the Thompson-Okanagan region. The meteor shower is expected to peak on Friday, May 4.
The bright meteors can be seen when Earth passes through the ice and rock debris from comet Halley, according to NASA. The debris burns up when it collides with Earth’s atmosphere.
The meteors are known for their high speed, travelling at 66 kilometres per second, leaving glowing streaks behind them.
Eta Aquarids appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius, whose brightest star is called Eta Aquarii, giving the meteor shower its name.
The meteors are more visible in the southern hemisphere, but viewers north of the equator can expect to see roughly ten meteors every hour during the peak. The meteor shower will be visible until the end of May and Halley’s Comet also produces a meteor shower known as the Orionids, which occurs in October.
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The best way to view the meteors is to find an area away from city or street lights where you can lie flat on your back and look up towards the sky. It can take about 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark so you can start to see the meteors.
First discovered in 1705 by Edmund Halley, Comet Halley takes roughly 76 years to orbit the sun and was last viewed from Earth in 1986. It won’t enter the inner solar system again until 2061.
If you get photos of Eta Aquarids meteors, send them news@infonews.ca.
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