Eta Aquáridas, a meteor shower formed by fragments of Halley’s comet, will peak in the sky in the early hours of Saturday (4) to Sunday (5).
This is one of the most intense and visible meteor showers in Brazil.
See below for more details on how to observe the event.
How to see the phenomenon?
As with any event of this type, a bit of luck is needed for the weather conditions to allow observation. The waning Moon, however, can help, considering that its low luminosity (only 14% illuminated, according to the National Observatory) should favor observation.
The darker the location and surroundings where the observation takes place, the better. According to the National Observatory, the meteor shower can produce up to 50 meteors per hour.
Also according to the Observatory, starting at 2 am is the best time for observation in Brazilian skies.
According to the American Meteor Society, the Eta Aquariids (another possible name for the meteor shower) are active from April 16 to May 27, with the highest meteor rates from May 1 to May 10 and peaking on May 5. .
Meteors can be seen in the pre-dawn hours in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
The Southern Hemisphere offers an advantage because the constellation Aquarius is situated higher in the sky than in the Northern Hemisphere.
In fact, the name of the meteor shower is related to the constellation Aquarius; It is there, close to Eta Aquarii, one of the brightest stars in the constellation, that is the point of origin in the sky of the debris that burns in the atmosphere.
What is a meteor?
Meteors are space rocks and other materials that burn as they fall through Earth’s atmosphere, leaving a bright streak across the sky. They are also called shooting stars, although they are not stars. Comets can be a source of meteor showers because they shed dust and debris as they orbit the sun. Meteor showers occur annually or at regular intervals when our planet, during its orbit around the Sun, passes through trails of these debris.
Comets are icy remnants from the formation of the solar system, composed of rock, dust and ice. As they orbit closer to the Sun, they release dust and gases.
Halley’s Comet, named after the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742) who studied it, is considered the most famous. It makes a 76-year orbital loop around the Sun and was last seen in Earth’s skies in 1986 and will return in 2061, according to NASA. Debris released by Halley’s Comet causes the Eta Aquariid meteor shower.
The Orionid meteor shower, which peaks in mid-October each year, is also driven by debris from Halley’s Comet.
How fast do these meteors travel?
According to NASA, Eta Aquariid meteors are particularly fast, moving at about 238,000 km per hour in Earth’s atmosphere. Meteors this fast can produce bright “trains” that last from seconds to minutes. The American Meteor Society said meteor rates are expected to be increased this year due to debris being disturbed by the gas giant planet Jupiter heading closer to Earth.
