(AP) – Get ready for two meteor showers.
The Delta Aquarius Southern meteor shower peaks in late July. This year, it will coincide with a second, smaller meteor shower, the Alpha Capricornis.
The Delta Aquarius meteor shower occurs each year in late summer in North America. This year, it peaks early Tuesday morning, when you can expect to see 15 to 20 meteors per hour in the Northern Hemisphere, under dark skies. Better viewing is expected in the Southern Hemisphere. The shower runs through Aug. 21, according to the American Meteor Society.
Around the same time, the Alpha Capricornus meteor shower is expected to produce about five meteors per hour, and will last until August 15.
Here’s what you should know about the Delta Aquarids and other meteor showers.
What is meteor shower?
Multiple meteor showers occur annually and you don’t need special equipment to see them.
Most meteor showers originate from cometary debris. The Delta Aquarids are thought to originate from comet 96P/Machholz. The Alpha Capricornis are thought to originate from comet 169P/NEAT.
When rocks from space enter Earth’s atmosphere, air resistance makes them extremely hot. This causes the air around them to glow and leaves a brief fiery tail behind them – the tail end of a “shooting star.”
Glowing pockets of air surrounding fast-moving space rocks, ranging in size from dust particle to boulder, may be visible in the night sky.
These two meteor showers are not very large, but Alpha Capricorn meteor showers often produce very bright meteors, said University of Warwick astronomer Don Polacco.
For sky watchers, he said, “one bright star is worth twenty faint meteors.”
How to watch meteor showers
Meteor showers are usually most visible between midnight and the pre-dawn hours.
Meteors are easiest to see under a dark sky, away from city lights. Meteor showers also appear brightest on clear nights when the Moon is waning.
Your eyes will adjust better to seeing meteors if you’re not checking your phone. “It destroys your night vision,” said NASA’s Bill Cooke.
The Southern Hemisphere will have the best chance of seeing the Aquarian meteors. This coincides with a waning moon that is about 30% full, meaning the clearest viewing will be after midnight.
When will the next meteor shower be?
The Meteor Society maintains an updated list of upcoming major meteor showers, including peak days and moonlight conditions.
The next major meteor shower will be the Perseids, which will peak in mid-August.
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