A little something to lighten up our lives.
Coming to a sky near us next week, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is set to fly past Earth, just two weeks after the beautiful Lyrid meteor shower flickered through the night sky.
Watch as the shower brightens up the view above, with activity peaking at midnight and dawn next Tuesday, 5-6 May. Not only that, but we’ll also have a thin crescent moon next week which will leave the skies darker than usual, providing the perfect backdrop.
Said to originate from Aquarius, the meteors are best spotted 30 degrees away from the Aquarius constellation which is visible across almost the entire planet (lower in the sky, rather than overhead), and they’re created by debris along Halley’s Path – from the Halley Comet that the Earth passes each May and October.
While the shower will reach its peak on 5-6 May, they can be spotted anytime before the 20th May, so if you have a cloudy night next week, don’t fear.
For the best chance of spotting the shower, look up next week at around midnight and keep your eyes out across the whole sky.
[Featured image: Phillip Chee/Flickr]