In May we start in a big way, since we will soon be able to see the Eta Aquarids 2024, the meteor shower that Halley’s Comet gives us.
April is leaving. Although that month brings with it the moments that were seen as most memorable, for the taste of fans of astronomical observation, the cosmic spectacle is unstoppable, and May comes in 2024 with the Eta Aquaridshis usual meteor shower.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), every year at the beginning of the fifth month, Eta Aquarids they reach their maximum. This rain is distinguished by its speedsince its meteors travel at about 66 km/s (148,000 mph) in the Earth’s atmosphere.
“With the arrival of spring, the Halley comet is approaching our planet. In its wake, it leaves a trail of cosmic particles, which come into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere. For this reason, the sky lights up with thousands of ‘stars’,” he explains. Andrea FischerMexican journalist from National Geographic in Spanishabout the nature of this rain.
What is a meteor shower?
It is known this way, or also a meteor shower, an astronomical event that occurs when a comet, which approaches very close to the Sun, sees its body heat up and break off pieces of himself.
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When the fragments left in space enter the Earth’s atmosphere they are called meteorites. At that moment a phenomenon is formed like the one represented the Eta Aquarids.
How and when to see the next meteor shower?
Between May 4 and 5 of this yearit will be possible to see the high point of the Eta Aquaridsthe star rain that gives us the Halley comet.
The POT points out that this rain can be seen in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres before dawn. However, the most privileged will be those located in the second fraction of the planet, since those in the north only see about 10 meteors per hour.
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What is recommended, in order to have the best possible experience, is Find a place away from light pollution. Once adapted to the darkness, our eyes, without the intervention of observation instruments, are sufficient to admire the spectacle.
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