The Delta Aquarids meteor shower will soon light up Earth’s skies. While it’s not the most common meteor shower of the year, it will peak under ideal conditions this year and occur during the same time period as several other meteor showers, including the Perseids.
This year’s Delta Aquariid meteor shower will be active from July 18 to August 21, peaking on the night of July 29 to 30. American Meteor SocietyHowever, the peak of this meteor shower is broad, which is good news for skywatchers, because the maximum rate of “shooting stars” from this meteor shower tends to extend over several nights before and after the technical peak date. Also, the meteors in this meteor shower tend to move relatively slowly, making them easier to observe.
The conditions will be good on the night of the peak of this year’s Delta Aquariid meteor shower. When searching for meteors, Moon July is the only time when the sky is dark and it is easy to see. Full Buck Moon On July 21, the Moon will rise well before the peak of the meteor shower. On July 28, the Moon will become a waning quarter moon, rising just after midnight and continuing to rise about 50 minutes later each night thereafter. This means that an hour before and after midnight will be the best time to observe this year’s Delta Aquarids meteor shower across the Northern Hemisphere.
Every meteor shower is named after the constellation in which its “shooting stars” appear. For the Delta Aquarids, that’s Aquarius, which lies in the southern sky, between Capricorn and Pisces. Due to its location in the southern sky, the Delta Aquarids meteor shower is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere.
Shooting stars meteorite — Tiny rock particles that impact Earth’s atmosphere. As they tumble, they heat up and vaporize, releasing energy that can be seen as streaks of light in the night sky. The Delta Aquarids meteor shower is caused by dust and debris left inside. Solar System It was discovered by the 96P/Machholz comet shower. At its peak, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower is expected to produce as many as 20 meteors per hour.
One of the most abundant and popular meteor showers of the year, the Perseids overlaps slightly with the Delta Aquarids, which this year runs from July 14 to September 1, peaking in the early morning hours of August 12. While both meteor showers are best seen with the naked eye, summer is a great time to take up stargazing in new ways. binoculars or Good Backyard TelescopeThe alignment of planets, supermoons and comets Towards the night sky near you.
