No one has seen Comet Halley in decades. Even so, it’s reminding us of its presence about now. That’s because it’s responsible for the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. The shower is predicted to reach its peak tomorrow night, with top rates of about 40 or 50 meteors per hour.
A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the orbital path of a comet. As a comet nears the Sun, some of the ice at its surface vaporizes in the heat. That releases small bits of rock and dust. Over time, this “comet dust” spreads out along the comet’s orbit. When Earth intersects the orbit, some of the debris slams into the atmosphere at tens of thousands of miles per hour – forming the glowing streaks known as meteors.
The Eta Aquarids are one of two showers that are caused by Halley. The other takes place in October. Our planet passes a little deeper into the debris field in May, so this shower is better. Yet we’re a long way from the center of Halley’s trail – catching the fringe of a trail of comet dust.
The shower is in better view from the southern half of the country. That’s because the point at which the meteors appear to “rain” into the atmosphere stays low in the south. To see the Eta Aquarids, find a dark, safe skywatching site, away from city lights. The best view comes in the wee hours of the morning.
The Moon will be out of the way then, making it easier to see the “shooting stars” from Halley’s Comet.
Script by Damond Benningfield