An exceptional starry night
This year, astronomy enthusiasts are in luck, as the Eta Aquarids will offer an extraordinary celestial spectacle. The absence of the Moon during its maximum will allow optimal observation of this meteor shower, which will reach its peak between May 5 and 6.
A cosmic phenomenon from the tropics
The Eta Aquarids are a phenomenon visible annually between April and May. Its observation is more favorable in tropical latitudes, such as the paradisiacal Canary Islands, and in the southern hemisphere. However, they can also be enjoyed in the northern hemisphere.
The legacy of Halley’s Comet
These fascinating shooting stars are closely linked to the famous Halley’s Comet, as are the Orionids, which make their appearance in October. The Eta Aquarid meteors exhibit remarkable activity, with a frequency of between 40 and 85 meteors per hour, and an impressive speed of approximately 66 kilometers per second, according to the National Astronomical Observatory.
A spectacle visible from midnight
For mid-latitude observers, the Eta Aquarids radiant rises above the horizon approximately four hours after midnight and remains visible until dawn.
Fragments of Halley’s Comet
These meteors are fragments of Comet 1/P Halley, which completes its orbit around the Sun every 76 years. The last time this comet was visible from Earth was in 1986. Every year at this time, our planet passes through a ring of debris dislodged from Halley.
The origin of shooting stars
When these fragments, known as meteoroids, come into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up due to friction, producing the luminous glow that we know as a meteor or shooting star. Halley’s Comet is also responsible for another meteor shower, the Orionids, which peak around October 21.
The radiant: the point of origin
Each meteor shower appears to originate from a specific point in the sky, called a radiant. The radiant of the Eta Aquarids is located in the star Eta of the constellation of Aquarius.