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Bright Moon Likely to Dim Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower
Moonlight may reduce the shower to fewer than 10 meteors an hour, according to the American Meteor Society.
- The Eta Aquariids meteor shower peaks overnight on May 5-6, giving stargazers a chance to spot fast-moving "shooting stars" created by debris from Halley's Comet.
- Halley completes one orbit around the Sun every 76 years, and twice annually Earth passes through the trail of dust and debris the comet leaves behind, creating the Eta Aquariids.
- Particles enter Earth's atmosphere at roughly 40.7 miles per second, leaving glowing "trains" that NASA describes as "incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor" lasting several seconds to minutes.
- Bright moonlight is expected to "wash out" many of the meteors, as the moon will be 84% full on the peak night, potentially reducing visible rates to fewer than 10 per hour.
- NASA recommends stargazers mark May 18 as one of the best opportunities this year, looking west just after the Sun sets for improved viewing conditions and fainter meteor visibility.
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Eta Aquarids: Tips for watching the meteor shower during its peak, despite moonlight
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks this week, but it could be tricky to see due to the brightness of the moon. Here are tips for the best viewing.
·Spokane, United States
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Total News Sources19
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution80% Center
Bias Distribution
- 80% of the sources are Center
80% Center
L 20%
C 80%
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