by It has been 38 years since Halley’s Comet passed through the inner solar system. This famous comet takes about 75 years to circle the sun. But if you’re 42 years old or younger, you probably don’t remember much about the 1986 appearance of this famous cosmic vagabond (the next chance will come in the summer of 2061).
Or maybe, if you were around back then, you didn’t see Halley at all because of light pollution or the comet’s low altitude above the sky. If you missed the 1986 event, or don’t want to wait until 2061, you might want to head out before sunrise in the next few mornings and try to catch a glimpse of some “cosmic junk” that is left behind. space with Halley’s Comet.
Halley’s Comet’s orbit closely approximates the Earth’s orbit at two places. There is one point in mid to late October, which produces a meteor display known as the Orionids. The other point comes in early May, producing the Eta Aquarid meteors.
Related: Meteor Showers 2024: When will the next one be?
When and where to watch
This year, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is predicted to be at its peak on the morning of Sunday, May 5, when the moon is a very thin crescent (8% illuminated) and safely out of harm’s way to disrupt visibility. .
This mid-spring meteor display remains above a quarter of its peak strength for about 10 days. And the 2024 version of this shower is also expected to provide a higher number of meteors than usual. More on that in a moment.
This is the best meteor shower of the year for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, and usually results in hourly rates of 60 or more.
There is a slight downside, however, if you plan to view these meteors north of the equator. The radiant (the point from which these meteors appear to originate in the sky) is found at the asterism “Water Jar” in the constellation Aquarius, which rises above the southeastern sky at about 3 o’clock local daylight, and does not rise it is very high as seen from moderate northern latitudes.
This means that the actual observed rates are lower than the 60 per hour often quoted; closer to 10 to 20 per hour at about 40-degree north latitude (Philadelphia) to perhaps 20 to 40 per hour near 25-degree north latitude (Brownsville, TX).
Improved activity in 2024?
According to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s 2024 Observer Handbook, this year’s Eta Aquarids are expected to show a “significant outburst” from meteorites ejected from Halley’s comet about 2,500 years ago.
In a technical paper published in August 11, 2020 issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics magazine, astronomer Auriane Egal and four colleagues from the University of Western Ontario present a new numerical model of the Eta Aquarid and Orionid meteor showers (referred to in the paper as the “Halleyids” meteor showers).
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According to Dr. Egal and its colleagues, material lost by Comet Halley, mainly in 983 BC, with some small eruptions of particles from the comet apparitions 1058 BC, 835 BC and 314 BC, increased by the close interactions of these meteoroids with gravity. the pull of Jupiter, resulting in enhanced Eta Aquarid activity in 2024.
Earth is expected to pass closest to this “river of debris” at around 13:30 UT on May 5. Unfortunately, it will be daylight across Europe and North America, but significant improved activity is expected to last for perhaps a few days. either side of this predicted peak.
The number of meteors could be seen as large two or three times the normal rate for Aquarium 2024 Eta. In their paper, Egal et al write that this year’s outbreak “could produce from 120 to 160 meteors per hour, with 30% confidence in the predicted rates.”
Catch on Earthgrazer
For most who live at mid-northern latitudes, your best hope may not be to see a large number of meteors, but to catch a glimpse of a meteor emerging from the radiant of the Eta Aquarid that will skim the atmosphere the Earth horizontally — like. bug skimming the side window of the car. Meteor watchers call such shooting stars “Earthgrazers.” They tend to leave colorful, long-lasting traces.
“These meteors are extremely long,” says Robert Lunsford, of the International Meteor Organization. “They tend to hug the horizon rather than shooting overhead when most cameras are pointed.”
“Earthlings are rare enough,” warns Bill Cooke, a member of the Space Environments team at Marshall Space Flight Center. “But even if you only see a few, you’ll probably remember them.”
With improved activity on the table for Sunday (May 5), you may have a better chance of seeing more than a few Ground Grasshoppers in the hour or two before first light. If you intend to watch, try settling down on a long lounge or deck chair, dress warmly before and focus on that area of the sky from overhead and down towards the southeast. Also consider trying again on Monday morning (May 6) if your local skies are clear.
comet fragments
If you see Earth Studs early in the morning, remember that you are likely to see the glowing streak produced by material from the core of Halley’s Comet. When these tiny comet fragments – probably no bigger than a grain of sand or a pebble – collide with Earth, friction with our atmosphere raises them to white heat and creates the effect known as “shooting stars.”
So the point is that the shooting stars we have come to call the Eta Aquarians are actually a contact with the tracks of a famous visitor from the depths of space and the beginning of creation.
Editor’s note: If you take a great photo of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower that you’d like to share with us and our news partners for a potential story or image gallery, send us images and comments at spacephotos@space.com.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Free natural history magazine,the The Farmers’ Almanac and other publications.
