Peak of the Eta Aquariums 2020 meteor shower this week
US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — If you were born after 1983, it is likely that in the summer of 2061, when Halley’s comet makes its 31st (observed) return to the inner solar system, it will be above 50 to 50.
Those who are older may have seen this famous comet during the time of her last appearance in the winter of 1986. But you always have the opportunity to greet the comet, albeit in a slightly different form, after seeing some pieces from Halley’s comet over the next few days.
Like other comets, Hallea is a cosmic guest, who approaches the sun approximately every 76 years, leaves in her way a “river of rubble” along its orbit. When the Earth interacts with this stream, cometary particles rush through our atmosphere at high speeds, creating the effect of “shooting stars.”
In two places, the comet’s orbit passes very close to our own orbit. The material that it ejects into space on its way to the Sun forms the October meteor shower, known as the Orionids, while the material that it ejects after it has circled the Sun and is sent back to the outer limits of the Solar System forms meteors at the beginning May: Eta-Aquarids, which are due to appear this week.
In their book Observing Meteors: Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, a Guide to Observing Meteors (Astronomical League, 1986), authors David Levy and Stephen Edberg wrote about Eta Aquariums: “These meteors look like fast bands (average speed 66 km / with)”.
Eta Aquariums exist for about a week. They are expected to peak at Tuesday morning, May 5th. Since the bright moon is only two days from the full phase, it will illuminate the sky all night, probably suppressing everything except the brightest of these heavenly streaks of light.
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