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Sky-gazers can look forward to a double meteor shower peak this week. How and when to see it
KSL.com • • science
Key Points:
- Two meteor showers, the Alpha Capricornids and the Southern Delta Aquariids, will peak Thursday night into Friday, but visibility may be hindered by the full moon on Wednesday, which will outshine fainter meteors.
- The Alpha Capricornids produce brighter meteors averaging three per hour, while the Southern Delta Aquariids yield faster meteors at about two per hour in the Northern Hemisphere and three per hour in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Observers in the Southern Hemisphere have a viewing advantage due to the meteor showers' radiant being higher overhead, and experts recommend viewing from high elevations facing north with the moon behind to minimize light interference.
- Meteor showers provide valuable data about space particles and help assess potential hazards for spacecraft and human spaceflight by tracking when Earth intersects these particle streams annually.
- The Perseid meteor shower, active this week but peaking in mid-August, is expected to offer a more spectacular and clearer display compared to the current showers affected by moonlight.
