On top of the full Flower Moon, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is also set to peak on the weekend.
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower
As per Live Science, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower happens every year and is active between April 19 and May 28. In this event, seeming shooting stars, which are minute meteors that burn up over the Earth's atmosphere, can be spotted blazing through the night sky.
Live Science adds that this meteor shower will peak on May 5 and 6. This is also when the full Flower Moon is expected to shine over the horizon, which may affect overall visibility.
NASA adds that the Eta Aquarid meteor shower this year could be quite impressive as roughly 120 to 160 meteors per hour are expected to shower. This specific shower results from the Earth running into Halley's Comet debris.
With some rocks moving as fast as 148,000 mph, some of these shooting stars have a trail of bright trains that may last for a couple of seconds or even minutes.
Where To Watch the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower?
As per NASA, the Eta Aquarid shower will be visible across both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. However, visibility will be better for those situated in the Southern hemisphere or for those near the equator, Space adds. This is because of the radiant's place in the Aquarius constellation.
Space also notes that skywatchers may see roughly 10 to 30 meteors per hour when the Eta Aquarid is at its peak. To get a glimpse of the sky show, skywatchers are advised to find a dark area with an unobstructed view.
NASA also advises that to get the best possible view, skywatchers should spend 30 minutes letting their eyes adapt to the dark. This also means that they should not look at their phone, the sky, and even the Moon during this time.
Live Science also adds that using stargazing binoculars or a telescope will make it harder to spot the shooting stars. One can simply view it with naked eyes.
Major Meteor Showers 2023
NASA notes that after the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, the next major ones will be the Perseids meteor shower in August and the Orionids meteor shower in October.
The Perseids meteor shower is typically active between July 17 and August 24. The Royal Museums Greenwich reports that this year, it is expected to peak on August 12 to 13.
The Orionids meteor shower, on the other hand, is known to be active from October 2 to November 7. EarthSky reports that for this year, it will peak on October 22 morning.
Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
