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(CNN) — May begins with the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, and experts anticipate a better show than in recent years, according to the American Meteor Society.
During the period when the meteor shower is expected to peak, in the early morning hours of Sunday and Monday, according to EarthSky, the Moon, in its new moon phase, will only be 6% illuminated. Experts suggest keeping an eye on the sky between 2 and 5 a.m. local time.
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is often considered the best meteor shower of the year for the Southern Hemisphere, where skywatchers could see between 20 and 40 meteors per hour, or perhaps even more, according to EarthSky. In the Northern Hemisphere, observers can expect to see between 10 and 20 meteors in the hours before sunrise, according to NASA.
The source of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is Halley’s Comet. Earth crosses the comet’s orbit every spring between April and May, causing small grains of rock and dust released by the comet to hit our planet’s atmosphere and create a dazzling meteor show. This occurs again in October, giving rise to the Orionid meteor shower.
Halley’s Comet was last seen crossing Earth’s night sky in 1986, and will pass by again in 2061 while traveling in a 76-year orbit around the Sun.
The meteors appear to come from the northeastern part of the constellation Aquarius, which contributes to the shower’s name.
The rate of visible meteors per hour this year is expected to be “enhanced by debris disturbed by Jupiter in a direction closer to Earth,” according to the American Meteor Society. “This last occurred in 2013, when rates were significantly improved.”
Astronomers anticipated higher rates of the Eta Aquarids in 2023, but a full moon eclipsed the meteors, and scientists were unable to verify whether the enhancement occurred. But without lunar interference on the horizon, the rate of visible meteors could double if the enhancement occurs, according to the American Meteor Society.
If you live in an urban area, you may want to move to a location that isn’t full of city lights obstructing your view.
Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look directly up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, without looking at your phone, to make meteors easier to spot.
The American Meteor Society invites viewers to share their observations of the meteor shower, which will help astronomers determine if there were more meteors than expected.
“The Eta Aquarids will offer a good opportunity to see the greatest activity from this source until the 2040s,” according to a message shared by the American Meteor Society. “We strongly encourage everyone with clear skies to observe during this time and share their observations. We wish you good luck and look forward to seeing your results!”
Here are the remaining meteor showers to look forward to in 2024.
meteor showers
Southern Delta Aquarids: July 29-30
Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31
Perseids: August 11-12
Draconids: October 7-8
Orionids: October 20-21
Southern Taurids: November 4-5
Northern Taurids: November 11-12
Leonids: November 17-18
Geminids: December 13-14
Ursids: December 21-22
full moons
Each month’s full moon is associated with a specific name, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. But full moons have a variety of names and meanings, according to different indigenous tribes.
May 23: Flower Moon
June 21: Strawberry Moon
July 21: Deer Moon
August 19: Sturgeon Moon
September 17: Harvest Moon
October 17: Hunter’s Moon
November 15: Beaver Moon
December 15: cold moon
Solar and lunar eclipses
An annular solar eclipse will occur in the sky on October 2 over parts of South America. This type of eclipse is similar to a total solar eclipse, except that the Moon is at the farthest point of its orbit from the Earth, so it cannot completely block the Sun. Instead, annular solar eclipses create a ” ring of fire” in the sky as the burning light of the sun surrounds the shadow of the moon.
A partial lunar eclipse, when the Earth moves between the Sun and the full moon without being perfectly aligned, will appear over Europe and much of Asia, Africa, North America and South America between September 17 and 18.
Check the sitio web de Time and Date to see when these eclipses will appear.
