Space Events

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

It’s been 29 years since Halley’s Comet passed by the Earth, and it won’t be around for another 47. Even though the iconic space rock won’t be visible for a few more decades, the Aquarid’s meteor shower, debris from the comet’s previous passing, will be visible starting early Wednesday morning. NASA predicted that up to ten meteors per hour would be visible throughout the northern hemisphere.

The Eta Aquarids are one of two annual meteor showers left in Halley’s wake. The other shower caused by the comet, the Orionids, occurs in October each year. The Aquarids are named after the star from which they appear to originate in the night sky, Eta Aquarii.

The meteors are best viewed in the early morning hours when the sky is darkest. From a vantage point on a clear, moonless night, especially in southern latitudes, shooting stars will streak through the atmosphere and dazzle viewers over the course of about a week.