Those who still can’t catch a glimpse of the meteor shower can watch it live on their computers as Slooh, an online observatory, will provide a live broadcast of it from the Canary Islands.
Advertisement
Science Recorder noted that up to ten percent of the Aquarids are known to leave persistent meteor trains – ionized gas trails that can linger for a couple of seconds after the meteor disappears.
Meteor showers occur when a comet comes close to the sun and produces debris – meteoroids – that spread around the comet’s orbit. At least the meteor shower produced by the Perseids will be available to the naked eye, but the trick is to stargaze the entire night sky since, even when the shower starts from a particular point and has a trajectory, all meteor showers can appear anywhere. Skywatchers in the southern hemisphere will be the ones to get the best view, but there is no need to cry: at the northern hemisphere, stargazers can still see up to 20 shooting stars per hour, especially considering that the peak of the Delta Aquarids will coincide with a waning crescent moon and dark skies.
“This particular meteor shower has a long slow buildup and decline, with meteors from its stream beginning to shower on July 12 and running through to August 23-mixing in with the Perseids in August!”
The broadcast will also include astronomers discussing the shower and answering questions from the public.
The Delta Aquarids will continue until August 23, overlapping with the Perseid meteor shower, one of the most popular meteor showers.
The Delta Aquarids were first discovered in 1870 and scientists are still trying to determine the comet responsible for the show.
To figure out whether you’re seeing a Delta Aquarid meteor or a Perseid meteor, you can trace the meteors backward through the sky to find their radiant.
A report published in Patch revealed, “According to the American Meteor Society, normal rates range from 50-75 shower members per year, but in 2016 they will appear at double the normal rate”. But you don’t have to wait until August to see shooting stars light up the sky.
“This year the Delta Aquarids are expected to peak on the night of July 28th and the morning of July 29th”, NASA said in the statement. Around July 28 and 29, the Delta Aquarids will reach their peak. During this peak, you might be able to see as many as 20 meteors an hour.
The Meteor Data Center produced a list of Meteor Showers available here.
Looking directly up at the sky or into the radiant is not recommended since this is just the point in which they appear to come from. That’s because the meteors are all approaching us at the same angle. According to EarthSky, the Delta Aquarids will appear to radiate from the nearby star Skat, or Delta Aquarii, which is in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer.
Advertisement
Meteor showers are only visible at night.
