Here's How to Catch the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower's Peak
The celestial phenomenon is expected to peak between May 4 and 7.
I hope you still have a few wishes to pull out from your wish drawer, or else this major celestial event coming up this week might catch you unprepared. Technically, the event I'm referring to has already started, but don't stress too much—you're not late for the party. If anything, you're here for the peak moment of it all.
This May, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower will give stargazers something to wow at. The phenomenon started on April 15 and, as EarthSky reports, it is expected to last through May 27. However, the right time to catch the most of it is fast approaching. The mornings of May 5, 6, and 7 (according to NASA, May 4 and 5) are currently labeled as the best time to watch the meteors fly above you in the moonlight, right before dawn. At that time, the shooting stars' radiant is at their highest, meaning you'll have a better chance to catch them.
According to predictions, if you camp out during peak time, you might even see 10 to 20 meteors per hour soar through the skies. You also need to be in the right conditions to see them too, meaning if it's cloudy and rainy…well, you know where I'm going with this.
To improve your odds, though, there are a few tweaks you can make that are not dependent on weather conditions. You can, for example, choose to sit outside in a low light pollution area (check out the closest one to you here), or opt for one of the many dark sites in the US, of which you can find a handy map right here.
As far as geography goes, some areas will be luckier than others. Residents of the southern states will have better chances of catching the meteors, since the Eta Aquarids' radiant will run low on the sky this spring if watching from the Northern Hemisphere. That means that the farther south you go (including the Southern Hemisphere, that is), the higher your chances.
One thing to note, though, is that the moon will be bright and beautiful during the shower's peak time, which might lead to some proper light pollution from up above. But as Bill Cooke, the lead for the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, told Space.com, that shouldn't be a huge problem. This year's shower is possibly expected to be pretty intense and the moon won't be able to outshine all the myriad of meteors (almost two or three times the regular amount!) that will cross the sky.
For best viewing set-ups, NASA advises you to come prepared. Grab a blanket or a sleeping bag, and lie flat on your back with your feet facing east. Make sure to look up and be patient—it's going to take your eyes roughly 30 minutes to adapt to the darkness, after which you should be able to see a bunch of shooting stars and make your wishes.
Ready to go stargazing?
Here are all the best stargazing events that you can get out and see this month or you could stay in a stream the northern lights from home. If you're just getting started, check out our guide to astronomy for beginners or easy stargazing road trips from big US cities.