Science & Nature
Aquarid Meteor Shower Reaching Its Peak. Here’s How To Look for These Chips Off the Old Halley’s Comet
An Aquarid meteor streaks across the sky. (David Hoffmann Photography / iStock)
The world’s most famous comet won’t make another swing by Earth until the year 2061, but bits and pieces of Halley’s Comet will be visible as meteors in upcoming days.
The Aquarid meteor shower will peak in the pre-dawn hours of May 5 and 6 as Earth passes through Halley’s debris field.
The Aquarids (that’s NASA’s preferred spelling) radiate from the constellation Aquarius but can appear anywhere in the night sky. They might even seem to skim the surface of the Earth along the horizon.
It’s not one of the more prolific showers, with an hourly rate in the Northern Hemisphere of just 10 meteors per hour. But Aquarids are some of the fastest space rocks out there, hurtling toward Earth at a speed of 40 miles per second, leaving glowing “trains” in their wake, according to NASA.
As always, meteor showers are best viewed well away from light pollution. Find a dark spot, lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up.
In October, Earth will pass through a second field of Halley’s debris. This meteor shower, known as the Orionids, is considered one of the most beautiful.
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