Space
Look Up! Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks During the New Moon
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jul 29, 2014 08:44 AM EDT
Set your sights on the skies tonight, because you may be in for a treat. The Delta Aquarid meteor shower is set to peak tonight and may be more stunning than usual due to the new moon, which will ensure dark skies.
The Delta Aquarid meteor shower takes place each July or August, and peak activity only falls over a day or two. In this case, the activity should peak July 29, which is tonight. As long as the skies are clear, you should be able to see a few "shooting stars" if you look upward this evening. The best views should be in the Southern Hemisphere, according to The Huffington Post.
Don't worry too much if you're dealing with inclement weather, though. You can actually watch the meteor shower at Slooh.com. There, the live show will begin at 10 p.m. EDT tonight. You can also participate in a live conversation on Twitter about the shower by using the hashtage #SloohShower.
So how many meteors should you see? The peak of the shower will produce about 16 meteors were hour, according to Space.com. While the Delta Aquarid shower isn't usually spectacular, the fact that it falls on a new moon means that it will be easier to see the "shooting stars," which means that it could be quite the show.
This isn't the only meteor shower occurring this summer, though. There will also be the Alpha Capricornids, the S. Iota Aquarids, the N. Delta Aquarids, the Kappa Cygnids and the N. Iota Aquarids; all of these will peak at different points in August (you can see the specific dates in the chart here).
Take the opportunity to look up; you shouldn't be disappointed.
See Now:
NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
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First Posted: Jul 29, 2014 08:44 AM EDT
Set your sights on the skies tonight, because you may be in for a treat. The Delta Aquarid meteor shower is set to peak tonight and may be more stunning than usual due to the new moon, which will ensure dark skies.
The Delta Aquarid meteor shower takes place each July or August, and peak activity only falls over a day or two. In this case, the activity should peak July 29, which is tonight. As long as the skies are clear, you should be able to see a few "shooting stars" if you look upward this evening. The best views should be in the Southern Hemisphere, according to The Huffington Post.
Don't worry too much if you're dealing with inclement weather, though. You can actually watch the meteor shower at Slooh.com. There, the live show will begin at 10 p.m. EDT tonight. You can also participate in a live conversation on Twitter about the shower by using the hashtage #SloohShower.
So how many meteors should you see? The peak of the shower will produce about 16 meteors were hour, according to Space.com. While the Delta Aquarid shower isn't usually spectacular, the fact that it falls on a new moon means that it will be easier to see the "shooting stars," which means that it could be quite the show.
This isn't the only meteor shower occurring this summer, though. There will also be the Alpha Capricornids, the S. Iota Aquarids, the N. Delta Aquarids, the Kappa Cygnids and the N. Iota Aquarids; all of these will peak at different points in August (you can see the specific dates in the chart here).
Take the opportunity to look up; you shouldn't be disappointed.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone