At dawn between Sunday (5) and Monday (6) there is the peak of Eta Aquarids meteor shower. The phenomenon that takes place from April 15th to May 27th will be visible in hours before dawnaccording to information from the Star Walk astronomical observation application.
In 2024, there are predictions that this rain will be especially intense and that the luminosity reflected by the Moon will not cause major interference in viewing. The event will be noticeable mainly to those south of the Equator, who will have more visibility for meteor activity.
The Eta Aquarids are known for their high falling speed and the significant percentage of persistent trails they leave behind. The comet that gives rise to these bodies is 1P/Halley, which causes meteor showers twice a year: the Eta Aquarids, at the beginning of May, and the Orionids, at the end of October.
In-app Sky Tonightlinked to Star Walk, it is possible to identify the best time to observe these shooting stars from their location by searching for the name of the phenomenon.
What is a meteor shower?
Several times a year, as Earth makes its journey around the Sun, its orbit crosses that of a comet, which means Earth crashes into a bunch of comet debris.
According to NASA, the meteor shower is the phenomenon in which many of these bodies enter our atmosphere. The agency explains that as the space rock falls towards Earth, the air resistance over the rock makes it extremely hot, forming tails and giving the impression of seeing a “shooting star”.
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