Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
When is the next meteor shower? Its already started and will remain active until May 28th this year. Since April 19th the Eta Aquariids meteor shower has been active. The shower will start to really heat up around May 3rd. The Eta Aquariids usually treats us to more than a full week of meteor activity. The shower will begin to get stronger and stronger as we near the peak on May 6th
Beginning with about 20 to 30 meteors per hour on May 3rd the shower will dazzle us on May 6th with up to 80 meteors per hour. The shower’s name is the Eta Aquariids and will appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius. Viewers will be able to see approximately one or two meteors per minute. Because this year the phase of the moon is a Last Quarter there will be a lot of extra light in the sky as 50% of the moon will be illuminated during the peak, but I’m hoping for a good showing from this event. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for some luck, as there are no guarantees that it will be this active.
When and where should one look to see the meteor shower?
Meteors can be seen anywhere in the sky. A good starting point for this shower is the radiant as each shower has a distinct point in the sky where meteors seem to come from. This shower like others is best viewed before dawn and after midnight in any time zone. The radiant is the point of origin where the meteor’s backward path can be traced. In this event the radiant is the constellation Aquarius. For people living north of the equator, Aquarius is located in the southeastern sky low on the horizon and for those south of the equator one should look toward the east but higher in the sky.
What is the cause of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower?
Have you ever heard of Halley’s Comet? This display in our May sky is caused by that very comet even though it last came near to Earth in 1986. This meteor shower has been happening for a very long time around the same time of year because as we pass through the dust trails and debris of Halley’s Comet from centuries and centuries ago meteoroids clash with the Earth’s atmosphere and create meteors. Halley’s Comet is responsible for two meteor showers a year, the Orionids Meteor Shower of October and this one. Halley’s Comet orbits our Sun and returns to view from Earth every 75 to 76 years.
Some exciting facts about the Eta Aquariids meteor shower:
Eta Aquariids meteors are really fast and enter the Earth’s atmosphere at a whopping 68 kilometers per second or approximately 152,000 miles per hour! They are usually very intense and frequently leave behind smoke trails or persistent trains.
As always I welcome your comments and questions. I enjoy reading and responding. I will try to respond to all the comments, just bookmark the site and check back with me once in a while. Try the meteor glossary if you don’t understand all the terms I use in the posts. There is a meteor shower virtually every month from now until the end of the year. If you’ve enjoyed my post and find the information useful, how about buying me a cup of coffee, as I will need them for when I get up early or stay up late to enjoy all the upcoming meteor showers.
Here are the dates for the next meteor shower.
η-Aquariids Meteor Shower
Start Date: April 19
Peak Date: May 6
End Date: May 28 – Meteor Mark’s Birthday!
Thank you for visiting MeteorBlog.com
Keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
on May 3rd, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Are there meteors in the sky now? thanks for the info. I joined the mailing and enjoy your cup of coffee from me!
Kenny
on May 3rd, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Kenny,
Wow thanks for your coffee contribution, so kind of you! The shower is active now, I can’t guarantee you will see any meteors, but the best time to look is any time after midnight, no matter where you are in the world. Please review this article all the details of when the shower is strongest are posted. You can also check out the Meteor Shower Viewing Page and the Glossary in the upper right hand corner.
Keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
on May 4th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Meteor Mark,
Thanks for the heads-up! I was outside hot-tubbing tonight between 10pm and 11pm and caught a few dim ones without being extra attentive. Would you say that the peak drops off at about the same rate as it ramps up? The reason I’m wondering is of course because the weekend schedule lends itself to more late-night viewing.
Dan
on May 5th, 2010 at 12:24 am
Dan,
Look in the morning of May 6th for your best chance at seeing more. This meteor shower will be active until May 28th. It will taper off just as fast as it started so by the weekend it will be much less active.
Keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
on May 5th, 2010 at 9:21 am
Hey Meteor Mark,
How are you? It has been a few months.
I was wandering if it would be better later in the a.m. or closer to midnight? When is it expected to be the strongest?
Thanks bunches and the kids say hi.
on May 5th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Meteor Mom,
Hi! For East Coasters, I think after 3:00 AM. I was out looking this morning and didn’t see much, but it’s supposed to be one of the stronger meteor showers with up to 60 to 80 meteors per hour, however the Moon will be bright and might be a problem.
Hello Meteor Kids!
Keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
on May 6th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
strange. was outside for 30 mins on morning of may 6(2:00A.m)
i didn’t see one meteor. i dunno why?
on May 6th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
David,
You’re not the only one. This shower’s radiant was low on the horizon, the moon was right in the radiant in a last quarter phase (half full) and a lot of observers also had cloud cover. Meteor showers still remain one of the most difficult events to predict.
- Meteor Mark
P.S. 30 minutes is a small sample size for observing, a lot of the time one must set aside an hour or even two.
on May 7th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
I was outside on May 6th at 4:45 a.m. (CST) with a south view, and I saw around 15 within the 15-30 minutes I was outside. It was a very slow peak, but I was lucky enough to catch some of it within such a small period of time.
-Brian
on May 8th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Hi Mark! My husband and I were in Maui on May 4th and saw a huge green meteor fall out of the western sky and break into pieces. I have not seen anything on-line about it! I was between 7pm and 9pm Hawaii Standard Time. Any info? Thanks so much!
on May 8th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Nancy,
Your report is the first I’ve heard about the event. You may want to check out this article: Meteor Facts Colors.
If I hear anything I will let you know. A lot of these events go unreported, so consider your sighting special and a magical moment between you and your husband from outer space!
Keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
on May 10th, 2010 at 5:41 am
May 10, 2010 4:48 am in Westminster, MD. Saw a huge meteor falling from the sky…looked like a fireball. I was on my way to work!!! It had a long firey tail and appeared orange and red. It was so awsome!! Have not heard yet if anyone else saw it…
on May 10th, 2010 at 8:07 am
this morning in laurel maryland (may 10, 2010) approx. 4:40am i saw a green ball fly over the sky – no tail – burst and disappeared – no news about this
on May 10th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Nancy Ann and Cindy,
It looks like you both saw a similar event in Maryland. Hopefully other people will report it here.
- Meteor Mark
on May 10th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
hi mark, my friend and i also saw a bright green ball with a white streak trailing behind it shooting on a downward angle it was appox. 4:50 am in manville nj so it lead me to your site for i was uncertain what is was
on May 21st, 2010 at 4:46 am
Hi Mark,
I was sitting at my kitchen table and saw (what I think must be) a meteorite fall in my backyard!! I live in Elizabethtown, KY and it happened at approx 4 am. Honestly, it was so spectacular and took me by such surprise that it scared me, but I wish I’d grabbed my camera. It was a basketball-sized green ball of fire. Never seen anything like it! Do you think it was part of this May meteor shower? I didn’t see any others- is it possible to have just one lone meteor?
Thanks!
Anne
on May 21st, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Anne,
Sounds like an awesome sight. It is possible that it was from the meteor shower that is happening now. It is also possible that it was a lone meteor. Please review this article: Sporadic Meteors. Some meteors and fireballs as this probably was seem so close! However, they usually burn up high in the atmosphere.
Keep your head up!
- Meteor Mark
on May 22nd, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Meteor Mark,
I am writing now to thank you for responding so kindly and quickly last month, regarding the Lyrid meteor shower. I apologize about the delayed acknowledgment; due to a poor internet connection and several other circumstances, I did not have a chance to touch base on May 1st. However, I intend to visit often to check-up on the latest meteor information!
Unfortunately, a veil of dust in the air masked from view the meteor shower that night. Although I missed the show, I have only a little more time here and I look forward to gazing when I return home.
Thanks again, Mark! To all of the gazers out there, I wish you clear skies and the best of luck!
on May 22nd, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Jake,
Keep your head up. In August the Perseids could be the best shower of the year!
- Meteor Mark
on May 25th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
I just was a large meteor ESE from central Ohio at 11:24pm!