The aquarid meteorite rain continues until May 21
Having taken place every spring in May, the meteority rain from êta aquarides is well known to lovers of space, but also specialists. This year, this celestial spectacle will be observable until May 21, with its peak which was reached in the night of May 5 to 6, more precisely at 3 a.m., when the moon goes to bed and giving way to a dark sky up to dawn, offering ideal conditions of observations, communicated NASA.
The meteorites of êta aquarids are formed from the debris of the comet of Halley, which will be visible in 2061, 76 years after its last observation, the time for it to orbit around the sun. The meteors that we observe are the result of collisions between the earth and small grains of rocks and dust when the comet enters the internal solar system. It is the released dust that will form the rains of meteorite aquarids in May, but also that of Orionides in October.
“It is one of the best annual rains in the southern hemisphere”
This meteor rain is particularly appreciated and expected by fans and specialists. “It is one of the best annual rains in the southern hemisphere”, NASA said on its site. Indeed, it is possible to observe several dozen meteorites per hour in the southern hemisphere.
They are less numerous in the northern hemisphere, where there are barely twenty. They are known to be very fast, with an estimated speed at around 64 km/s. To have a better observation, it is advisable to go to the early hours of the dawn in a place far from the lights of the city and with a clear view of the sky. To accustom your eyes to the darkness of the sky, look up and avoid consulting your phone.
The next meteorite rains this year
2025 will be a year rich in meteorite rains, and the next ones already have their dates. According to the American Meteor Society, a non-profit scientific organization, the last days of July (29-30) will be marked by the rains of aquarids of the South Delta and Alpha Capricornides, which will be followed by that of the Perseids, on August 12 and 13.
In October, there will be the Draconid (8-9) and Orionides (22-23) rains. The month of November will be particularly prolific in metear rain, with those of the southern Taurids (3-4) and the Taurids of the North (8-9), before we can observe that of the Leonids, on the 16th and 17. Finally, the month of December offers us the rains of the Geminids (12-13) to finish with that of the Ursides just before Christmas (21-22).
Source: CBS/NASA
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