Stargazers across Australia can enjoy an early Saturday morning with Eta Aquariid – one of the best meteor showers in the Southern Hemisphere – under optimal viewing conditions.
Named after Eta Aquari, the brightest star in the constellation Aquarius, this annual meteor show is best known for its association with Halley’s Comet.
Every year, Earth passes through debris left in the comet’s orbital path. When the debris enters Earth’s orbit, it disintegrates, leaving streaks of fire in the night sky.
“As Halley’s Comet orbits the sun, rock and ice shards fall, leaving a trail of debris around the solar system. As we go around the sun in our orbit, we cross that path, which means we get this,” said Australian National University Astrophysicist Brad Tucker. Meteors fall regularly at the same time every year.
Conditions will be perfect for viewing this year as the sky will be free of clouds and interference from moonlight. However, if you miss the peak on May 7, there is still a chance to see a meteor shower until May 11.
“It has been a very good year to watch. As long as the clouds move away, the morning will be bright,” said astronomer and founder of the Bathurst Observatory Ray Pickard.
“If the moon is bright, many faint meteors will drift away so it is difficult to see.
“Fortunately this year, the moon will set at the time the meteor shower is at its peak.”
The meteor will be visible after the Eta Aquariid rays rise, this will occur between 1:30 and 02:00 Saturday in most major cities.
“If you wake up around 2 a.m. and look northeast, you’ll see meteors from that time until sunrise,” Pickard said.
“I just encourage people to get out of the house and enjoy the show.”
Patience is the key to seeing a meteor shower.
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“The most important thing I always make sure to tell people is that your eyes need at least 10 minutes to adjust.”
Tucker also recommends going to a dark area with an unobstructed view of the sky.
“You want to have clear views everywhere. Going to an oval garden or a nearby park where you are in the middle with a wide view will give you the best chance.”
Viewers can expect to see up to 30 meteors per hour in a region with low light pollution.
“In a city, you tend to see 5 to 10 hours,” says Picard.
“It’s worth waking up to because these particular meteors move fairly quickly and have a tendency to leave trails of bright green smoke in the sky after they burn.”
Spectators get a glimpse of the planets while outside.
“At the same time this year, we also have an assortment of four planets in the morning sky, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and Venus. They are all in this beautiful, beautiful line, which is close to the same part of the sky as you. might be sought in a search,” said Tucker. about meteors.”
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