John Chumack/Science Photo Library
One of my favorite pastimes is stargazing with friends, spending hours watching the stars and hoping for meteors to race across the sky. Summer nights in the Northern Hemisphere are ideal for this, especially as two meteor showers reach their peaks.
A meteor is simply a flash of light created when small dust particles burn up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere. Occasionally, larger rocks disintegrate, with some pieces reaching the ground as meteorites. Each year, as Earth orbits the Sun, it passes through trails of dust and debris left by comets and asteroids, leading to stunning meteor showers.
The Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower originates from Comet 96P/Machholz, a short-period comet that orbits the Sun approximately every five years. Discovered in 1986, it last made its closest approach to the Sun in 2023.
This meteor shower is considered medium strength. On clear, dark nights, you could witness up to 20 meteors per hour, peaking on July 30th. However, the Delta Aquariid Shower (depicted in the image) spans from mid-July to mid-August and offers a gentler display compared to other meteor showers, making it less critical to observe it at peak times.
While Delta Aquariids are typically more spectacular in the Southern Hemisphere, they’re visible worldwide.
The optimal time to observe them is during a moonless night around the end of July. This year, the lunar phase aligns perfectly with the new moon on July 24th, offering an excellent opportunity for viewing until the first quarter on July 31st.
To see the meteors, find a location as far from light pollution as possible. Allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for at least 40 minutes before gazing upward. The Delta Aquariids appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius, from which their name is derived, but these meteors can be seen traversing in all directions across the sky.
If you’re stargazing towards late July or August, keep an eye out for the Perseid meteor showers, which are known for their brilliance and peak around August 12th. This year, the Perseids will reach their peak the evening of August 12th-13th, making it worthwhile to stay up late if you can.
So gather your friends, grab a cozy blanket or a hot water bottle, and see how many meteors you can spot at the end of July or the beginning of August. I’m certainly planning to do so.
Abigail Beall is the editor of New Scientist and the author of Art of Urban Astronomy. Follow her @abbybeall
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Source: www.newscientist.com
