Meteor showers occur throughout the year, but when is the best time to see the 2022 Eta Aquarids meteor shower?

When Earth travels through the debris stream occupying a comet’s orbit, or, to put it another way, when a cluster of meteors flash across the sky from roughly the same spot, a meteor shower occurs.

Meteors are also known as shooting stars, despite the fact that they have nothing to do with stars.

Meteor showers appear to originate from a single spot in the sky known as the shower radiant due to perspective. A typical meteor is formed when a particle the size of a grain of sand enters Earth’s atmosphere at 134,000mph and vaporizes.

Any object larger than a grape will produce a fireball, which is often followed by a meteor train, which is a continuous afterglow. This is an ionized gas column that is gradually disappearing from visibility as it loses energy.

2022 Eta Aquarids meteor shower

The Eta Aquariids, or 2022 May Meteor Showers, are the first of two meteor showers originating from Halley’s Comet, the most famous cosmic body of all.

In 2022, the Eta Aquarids will peak in the hours before dawn on May 5, and 6.

When the radiant is high in the sky in the southern half of the United States, you might see 10 to 20 meteors per hour under a dark sky with no moon. Two to three times that amount may be seen further south, at latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere.

The shower is named after Eta Aquarii, the brightest star in the constellation.

The Eta Aquarids is one of two meteor showers caused by Comet Halley’s debris. In October, the Earth passes through Halley’s route around the Sun for the second time. The Orionid meteor shower, which peaks around October 20, is the result of this.

It takes roughly 76 years for Comet Halley to complete a full orbit around the Sun. In 2061, it will be visible from Earth for the first time.

The shower would be more spectacular in the Southern Hemisphere, where watchers could see up to 50 meteors per hour at its peak. Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere, on the other hand, should only expect to view half as many.

When the Earth passes through Halley’s debris stream, small particles ignite and burn in the upper atmosphere, resulting in shooting stars.

Meteor shower: How to see it

The Eta Aquariids do not require any special equipment to observe, as do all meteors in yearly showers. However, a little luck never hurts.

Spread out on a reclining lawn chair in a dark, open sky away from artificial lights.

Make yourself at home with a steaming flask of your preferred beverage. Ensure a healthy temperature, but not to the point of falling asleep!

Observing meteors is similar to fishing. You may capture a large number of them at times, but not always.

Image Credit: Getty

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