Astronomy lovers will be able to enjoy this expected rain of Meteoros ETA Acuáridas, originated by the remains of the Halley comet.
The meteor rain occurs when the earth crosses the remains of the Halley kite, and the small fragments that enter the atmosphere at high speed produce light flashes called meteors or “fleeting stars.”
According to NASA, the maximum peak of the observation will occur between the night of Monday, May 5 and the early hours of Tuesday 6 and during the maximum of the ETA Acucharides, it is expected to see up to 50 meteors per hour.
This is one of the best annual rains of the southern hemisphere since in the northern hemisphere its visibility is more limited, with about 10 to 20 meteors per hour, this due to the location of the radiant from different latitudes.
“The constellation of Aquarius, home of the radiant of the ETA Acuáridas, is at a higher altitude in the sky in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere, the meteors of the ETA Acuáridas are usually observed as friction of the earth,” says NASA.
The conditions to observe the meteor rain will be ideal on the night of greatest activity, since the moon will put around 3 am, leaving dark skies to dawn. Although the peak will be at dawn on May 6, you can also see fleeting stars on previous nights.
In the northern hemisphere, between 10 and 20 meteors per hour, while in the southern hemisphere, observers can see a significantly higher amount.
To see the ETA Acuáridas, NASA recommended looking for an area away from the city’s lights or the street.
“Take a sleeping sack with you with you, a blanket or a garden chair. Go upside down with your feet to the east and look up, contemplating the sky as much as you can. After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors,” they say.
It should be noted that Comet Halley, one of the most famous, takes about 76 years to complete an orbit around the Sun. His last appearance on Earth was in 1986 and will not return until 2061.
The Halley comet was discovered in 1705 by Edmund Halley, who predicted his orbit based on previous observations, deducting that it was the same comet in different appearances.
