Look Up: Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Dazzles Night Sky

Image via Accuweather.com

While the famous Halley’s Comet passes Earth only once every 75 years, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower created by its tail debris dazzles onlookers every year.

This year’s shower peaks Tuesday, May 5 through the morning of Wednesday May 6, according to SkyMaps.com.

Known as the Eta Aquarid meteor shower due to its traceable path with the constellation Aquarius, this particular display features very fast and bright meteors, up to 30 in a single hour. However, this year’s shower will be slightly hindered by the bright full moon.

As large objects, like a comet, travel through space, debris is blown off by solar wind, gravity and collisions. This creates the iconic visible tail. The particles in the Eta Aquarids shower separated from Halley’s Comet hundreds of years ago and are passing through the Earth’s atmosphere to create visible streaks of light.

Be sure to find a clear and dark area to watch this natural phenomena. Skies will be partly cloudy with a temperature of 70F according to Weather.com.

Don’t forget to share your astronomical photos on Patch.