Eta Aquariids meteor shower could peak tonight: How to watch the shooting stars

Meteor showers happen when our planet passes through the debris left behind by asteroids and comets. When pieces of this debris collide with the Earth’s atmosphere they burn up, producing shooting stars.

Sometimes, our planet’s orbit passes through such streams of debris that are unusually dense, producing meteor showers. Meteor showers are typically associated with comets or asteroids that leave behind large amounts of debris as they pass through space. The Eta Aquariids meteor shower is caused by the debris left behind by the famous Halley’s comet.

Interestingly, our planet usually passes through the debris of Halley twice a year, the other time happens in October, when it creates the Orionid meteor shower.

The Eta Aquariids is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley. The Earth passes through Halley’s path around the Sun a second time in October. This creates the Orionid meteor shower, which peaks around October 20.

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is typically active between April 19 and May 28 every year and this year, it will peak on the nights of May 6 and May 7, according to Time and Date. When viewed from Delhi, the meteor shower should be visible in the western part of the sky, according to In the Sky.

The radiant of a meteor shower is the point in the sky where the shower appears to originate. In New Delhi, the radiant will be visible at a peak altitude of about 39 degrees above the horizon. At its peak, the Eta Aquariids shower will allow you to see up to 25 meteors per hour.To get the best view of the meteor shower, go to a location that is far away from the city’s lights and air pollution. After you find a good location to spot the shooting stars, look towards the West, where the radian should be. You might be able to catch a glimpse of a few shooting stars.