The Eta Aquarids are one of the busiest meteor showers of the year. To see the shooting stars, just step outside and look at the southern night sky.
The Eta Aquarids reached their peak on Friday, May 6th, and will continue to produce a lot of shooting stars in the coming days. NASA said that these meteors are known for their speed, reaching 148,000 mph as they hit our atmosphere.
The shooting stars come from a comet that swings through the solar system every 75 to 76 years. Earth plows through a debris trail of dust grains every May when the comet leaves behind its own calling card. The bits of debris that hit our atmosphere will burn harmlessly.
The best place to view the shower is from the Southern Hemisphere or close to the equator, but you can still see some meteorites in the Northern Hemisphere.
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It will be interesting to see if the rates are low this year or if we will get a spike in numbers before next year.
After the moon has set, go outside around 3 a.m. It is better to look at the sky's zenith so that you can see as many meteors as possible.
Bring a lawn chair to reduce neck strain. NASA says to get outside at least 20 minutes before you want to go meteorite hunting to let your eyes adjust to the dark. If you want to use your phone or flashlight, make sure you put a red filter or red tape on it.
Space.com has a beginner's guide for Astrophotographers who want to catch meteorites. If you can, try to practice taking pictures at night before the show starts so that you have a chance to check your settings and make sure the shots turn out as you want. Happy hunting!
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