The eta aquarid meteor shower can be seen every year between April 19 and May 28, but of all these days, the best time to observe them will be today, after midnight, when the Moon sets and gives way to the celestial spectacle.
This shower of stars will be better seen in the southern hemisphere and from places located in the tropics, such as the Canary Islands, although they can also be observed in the northern hemisphere. Eta Aquarids come from Halley’s Comet, like the Orionid Meteor Shower, which occurs in October.
Both occur every year when the Earth passes through a ring populated with the fragments detached from the comet that, in its long journey, leaves small metallic particles that pass through the atmosphere and disintegrate, becoming the shooting stars that we see.
Halley’s Comet, discovered by Edmond Halley (1656-1742), is undoubtedly one of the most popular celestial objects in history, and thanks to its orbit around the Sun, every 76 years we can see it with the naked eye.
The last time was in 1986 and the next time will be in 2061, when this old acquaintance from the history of astronomy will visit us again.
Eta Aquariid meteors have an activity rate of between 40 and 85 meteors per hour and a fairly high speed, about 66 kilometers per second, according to data from the National Astronomical Observatory (OAN).
From our latitude, 40º north, the meteor shower seems to have a single center of origin, a point from which all shooting stars seem to emerge and which is called “radiant”.
The location of that radiant is used to name the meteor shower, so that eta Aquarids have their radiant on the eta star in the constellation Aquarius.
This year will be a good year for the observation of eta aquaridssince the crescent of the Moon will allow us to see the meteor shower.
To do this, you have to find a place away from obstacles that make it difficult to see, such as buildings, trees or mountains, and that is away from light pollution. It is not necessary to use optical instruments.
Although eta aquarids appear to come from the constellation Aquarius, they can be seen anywhere in the sky.
It is convenient to direct the gaze towards the darkest areas, in the opposite direction to the position of the Moon if the observation is made when it is present. “The most comfortable thing is to lie down and wait for your eyes to get used to the dark”advises the NAO.