Meteor shower from Halley’s Comet to peak over Kentucky soon. When to catch the show

Outside of the Kentucky Derby this weekend, there’s one star-studded event that may have escaped your notice.

The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is expected to peak the evening of Thursday, May 4 and in the early morning hours of Friday, May 5.

The meteors are known for their blazing speed and connection to Halley’s Comet. Additionally, Thursday night will be almost moonless, making for prime viewing conditions if the weather cooperates.

Here’s how you can get the best view possible and participate in a local astronomy club’s star-gazing event that night.

When and where can I catch the meteor shower?

Ideally, the best place to view the Eta Aquarids is from the Southern Hemisphere. You can still get a good view of them from the Northern Hemisphere, though you won’t see as many and will have to be more patient.

“Meteors are not for people who are impatient,” Thomas Troland, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Kentucky, told the Herald-Leader recently.

“It’s nothin’ like the Fourth of July,” Troland said.

According to astronomy publication Space.com, you can see the Eta Aquarids meteor shower this year between April 15 and May 27. The meteor shower reaches its peak intensity the night of May 4 and the predawn hours of May 5.

What’s special about the Eta Aquarids meteor shower?

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the Eta Aquarids is the meteor shower’s connection to the most famous comet in history: Halley’s Comet.

Each time Halley’s Comet returns to our inner solar system, it leaves behind a trail of ice and rock. As explained by NASA, these dust grains become the Eta Aquarids in May and the Orionids in October if they happen to collide with the Earth’s atmosphere.

When they do, the space debris burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere, creating fiery and colorful displays across the sky. The Eta Aquarids in particular are known for moving at high speeds. According to NASA, the meteors travel at about 148,000 miles per hour through the Earth’s atmosphere. The glowing trains they leave behind can last for several seconds or sometimes minutes.

Halley’s Comet takes about 75 years to orbit our sun once, and according to NASA, the comet isn’t expected to enter the inner solar system again until 2061.

The Eta Aquarids take their name from the constellation Aquarius, which is the point in the sky from which it appears they’re coming, also called the radiant.

How to get the best views of the meteor shower

Troland recommends grabbing a lawn chair and getting as far away from city lights as possible. Light pollution will ruin your view of the night sky. Luckily, the moon that night will be a waning crescent, so its light shouldn’t obscure the view too much.

Other than that, you don’t need much to view the meteor shower. The naked eye is sufficient, Troland said.

The best time for viewing the Eta Aquarids should be at about 2 to 3 a.m. local time Friday, according to Business Insider. If you don’t want to wake up early, however, the Bluegrass Amateur Astronomy Club is planning to take in the views Thursday at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, provided the weather cooperates. Be sure to check the forecast and the club’s social media pages before you head out.

Rick Schrantz, the club’s president, told the Herald-Leader its members typically bring about six to 10 telescopes with them for their monthly star-gazing sessions. The May session happens to coincide with the Eta Aquarids meteor shower.

The advantage of tagging along with the club is you’re likely to get an “enhanced experience” to what you could get observing the night sky on your own, Schrantz said.

Schrantz said the club’s members will be happy to point out nebulas and galaxies, offering insights to help you find your way around the night sky.

The club plans to start setting up at sunset, which on Thursday is at about 8:30 p.m. If you plan to go, Schrantz advises calling Raven Run at 859-272-6105 so employees know how many people to expect.

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