An Eta Aquarid meteor streaks over north Georgia on April 29, 2012.
NASA/MSFC/B. Cooke/NASA
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NASA/MSFC/B. Cooke/NASA
Time to roll out your picnic blanket and unfold those lawn chairs: A meteor shower is set to streak across the (very) early morning sky on May 6.
The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower is expected to peak early Tuesday morning with meteors flying into Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of 40.7 miles per second, according to NASA. Eta Aquarids come from the leftover comet particles, pieces of broken asteroids and other space debris that originate from the famous Halley’s Comet, which takes about 76 years to orbit the sun once.
With the right preparation and an early alarm clock, there will be plenty of opportunities to spot around 50 meteors per hour at the peak of this shower, according to the U.S. space agency.
How and when to view the shower
The moon will set by roughly 3 a.m. on May 6, NASA said, leaving the dark skies at their most ideal condition for meteor spotting until dawn.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can expect to see about 10 to 20 meteors per hour. Those living south of the equator will see a far more active sky, thanks to the different viewing location of the Eta Aquarids’ radiant — the point in the sky from which meteors appear to originate. For Eta Aquarids, that radiant is the Aquarius constellation, which is higher up in the sky in the Southern Hemisphere than it is in the Northern Hemisphere.
Here are some tips to get the full experience, according to NASA:
- Find an area outside far from city or street lights.
- Get comfy with a blanket or lawn chair.
- Lie on your back, place your feet facing east and look up.
- Be patient! It will take some time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness, but don’t worry! The shower will last until dawn.