Every 76 years, the Halley comet visits the inner solar system and passes through Earth’s orbit. This visit leaves a trail of rocks and dust that falls into the atmosphere of our planet when it crosses said cloud of debris. This produces a shower of shooting stars or meteors which is best seen in the southern hemisphere, where Peru and most South American countries are located.
It’s about the meteor shower eta aquaridsso called because its radiant—the region of the sky from which meteors appear to emerge—is located near the star Eta Aquarii, in the Aquarius constellation.
Each year, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower occurs between April 15 and May 27. However, its moment of greatest activity occurs approximately in the middle of that period, when it can be observed about 50 meteors per hour in ideal conditions.
For 2024, it is expected that the maximum splendor of this meteor shower will occur in the night from Saturday, May 4 to Sunday, May 5informs the POT. The best time will be from 3:00 am, when the radiant is high in the sky.
Astronomers have estimated that this year they could be sighted up to twice as many meteorsas an additional cluster of remnants of Halley’s Comet has approached Earth’s orbit after being disturbed by Jupiter’s gravity.
There are a series of requirements that must be taken into account to be able to glimpse shooting stars.
In addition to a mostly clear sky, the viewing location should be free of light pollution, like light posts. That is why it is recommended to go far from the city. In that sense, a rural area or a mountain They would be good options.
Fortunately, the brightness of the Moon will not be a problem, since it will be very close to its new moon phase.
Although the radiant of the meteor shower will be in the eastern part of the sky, the most effective thing is to lie on your back and contemplate the entire celestial vault. It will take 10 to 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. and it will be easier for them to capture the meteor trail.
These shooting stars are some of the fastest seen all year. They reach a speed of 66 kilometers per second before disintegrating in the atmosphere.
Comet 1P/Halley, ‘father’ of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, It was last seen in Earth’s skies in 1986.. It has since continued its orbit around the Sun, reaching beyond the orbit of Neptune in recent years.
According to astronomical calculations, the comet will pass through Earth’s orbit again in the year 2061.
