ETA Aquarid Meteor Shower To Peak!
Written by Pheodora Waqanibaravi on May 2, 2023
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower 2023 is active between April 15 and May 27 and peaks on May 5-6. Even though the moon will 100% illuminated at the time of the shower’s peak, the Eta Aquarids are not to be missed due to the possibility of a significant outburst. The potential outburst will be caused by particles ejected from Comet Halley in 390 BC, and meteor rates could be over two times the norm — that’s a Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR) of around 120! Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which the meteors appear to originate. From Earth’s perspective, the Eta Aquarids appear to come from approximately the constellation Aquarius. You can see the Eta Aquarids best in the Southern Hemisphere, where they are one of the most prolific showers of the year. They can also be viewed north of the equator where observers can expect to see around 10 to 30 meteors per hour during the shower’s peak. All you need to catch the show is darkness, somewhere comfortable to watch and a bit of patience.
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