Double Meteor Shower Over Maryland Skies: How To Watch

MARYLAND — Skywatchers are in for a treat: Not one, but two meteor showers will peak above Maryland overnight Monday, July 29. This double meteor shower will result in 20 to 25 meteors per hour visible through the early-morning hours Tuesday, July 30.

The best viewing times are after midnight and before dawn.

The showers overlapping Monday into Tuesday are the southern Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capricornids.

The Delta Aquarids officially started July 12 and run through Aug. 23. They'll peak July 29 to 30 and will produce around 10 to 20 meteors an hour.

When traced backward, they appear to radiate from a point in front of the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer, which arcs across the southern sky in North America. The radiant point for the Delta Aquarids nearly aligns with the star Skat (Delta Aquarii), for which the shower is named.

At the same time, the Alpha Capricornids are active through Aug. 11 with maximum activity the last week of July, according to the American Meteor Society.

That means the peak time for the Aquarids and Capricornids will overlap.

According to the National Weather Service, skies should be mostly clear overnight Monday into Tuesday, with low temps in the mid 70s in the Baltimore-Washington area.

Tips on how to watch: Find a dark, open sky. Be patient. It'll take your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and set aside at least an hour to view them. They can come in spurts, and there can be a lull between shooting stars. Bring along a blanket or reclining lawn chair and settle in to enjoy the show.

RELATED: 2019 Guide To Meteor Showers, Lunar Eclipse, Supermoons In MD

For those who can't stay up for the double meteor shower Monday night, the Perseid meteor showers is up next.

The Perseids began July 17 and last through Aug. 24, with a peak around Aug. 11 to 13. The peak will likely produce about 10 to 15 visible meteors per hour because the moon will be very close to full.

Earthsky advises those who are serious about seeing meteors not to be daunted. Instead, start watching for the Perseids in the pre-dawn hours from Friday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 11. On those dates, there will be more moon-free viewing time than during the peak dates.

In years without moonlight, the Perseids are visible at much higher rates, and in outburst years, such as 2016, they can fly at a rate of 150-200 meteors an hour.

"Unfortunately, the moon will be very close to full on the night of the peak, which will wash out the fainter Perseids," NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com.

Still, don't skip this summertime favorite.

"The Perseids are rich in fireballs, so you'll still see Perseids," Cooke said. "You just won't see the show you've seen on nights when the moon has not been around."

The Perseids radiate from the constellation Perseus, named after the hero Perseus in Greek mythology, near the famous Double Cluster. The constellation is found in the northern sky and is one of the largest. Finding the radiant point for the Perseids isn't necessary because they fly in all parts of the sky.

And though the meteor shower is most visible after midnight, skywatchers may see a sprinkling of meteors from mid-to-late evening. A rare earthgrazer — a long, slow, colorful meteor along the horizon — is also possible during the evening. Earthsky said Perseid earthgrazers occur before midnight because the radiant point of the shower is close to the horizon.

— By Patch National Editor Beth Dalbey