Tonight – July 27, 2017 – and in the coming nights, treat yourself to one of nature’s spectacles. Every year, people look forward to the August Perseid meteor shower. And it’s wonderful, with regular rates of about 60 meteors per hour at its peak. The Perseids are gearing up even now, so if you go outside between midnight and dawn tonight or this weekend, you might see some. But there’s another meteor shower happening now, too. It’s the Delta Aquarid meteor shower.
The Delta Aquarids don’t have as definite a peak as the Perseids. Instead, the shower produces a steady supply of meteors for some weeks in late July and early August. Tonight – or this weekend – are good times to watch because the moon is in a waxing crescent phase. That means the moon now sets in early evening. In other words, we have deliciously dark skies for watching the Delta Aquarids, which are at their best in dark hours before dawn.
These meteors are beautiful! See the photo above? Kelly Dreller in Lake Havasu City, Arizona caught this meteor in late July of 2016.
Tonight, or this weekend – under a dark sky, between midnight and dawn – you might see as many as 10 to 15 meteors per hour. Most will be somewhat faint, so be sure to find a dark sky!
Radiant point of Delta Aquarid meteor shower. Click here for a post on how to find it in your sky. The Delta Aquarid radiant point is close to the ecliptic, or sun’s path across our sky. If you trace the paths of a Delta Aquarid meteor backwards, you’d find the star Delta Aquarii – also called Skat – nearly coinciding with the radiant. Read more...
The Delta Aquarids don’t have as definite a peak as the Perseids. Instead, the shower produces a steady supply of meteors for some weeks in late July and early August. Tonight – or this weekend – are good times to watch because the moon is in a waxing crescent phase. That means the moon now sets in early evening. In other words, we have deliciously dark skies for watching the Delta Aquarids, which are at their best in dark hours before dawn.
These meteors are beautiful! See the photo above? Kelly Dreller in Lake Havasu City, Arizona caught this meteor in late July of 2016.
Tonight, or this weekend – under a dark sky, between midnight and dawn – you might see as many as 10 to 15 meteors per hour. Most will be somewhat faint, so be sure to find a dark sky!
Radiant point of Delta Aquarid meteor shower. Click here for a post on how to find it in your sky. The Delta Aquarid radiant point is close to the ecliptic, or sun’s path across our sky. If you trace the paths of a Delta Aquarid meteor backwards, you’d find the star Delta Aquarii – also called Skat – nearly coinciding with the radiant. Read more...