It’s an event 37 Years in the making – Halley’s Comet is starting its journey Back to Earth in 2023. This week sees the peak of the Eta-Aqaurids meteor shower, an annual meteor shower caused by the world’s most famous comet—1P Halley.
Just to be clear, Halley’s comet—named after the English astronomer who plotted its orbit in the 17th century—is not returning to the solar system this week. It orbits the Sun every 75–79 years and was last seen in 1986, which was only 37 years ago, so it has awhile before it gets to Earth again.
However, 37 is a magic number for one of the least reflective objects in the solar system, because that’s how long it takes to travel to and fro between the Sun and the outer solar system. This means that on December 9, 2023, Halley’s comet will get as far as it ever does from the Sun—about 35 Earth-Sun distances past the orbit of Neptune—and begin to drift back towards the Sun. Astronomers call this point the comet’s aphelion.
Where do the Eta Aquarids fit into this Equation?
Both May’s Eta-Aqaurid (also spelled Aqauriid by some) and October’s Orionid meteor showers are caused by dust and debris left in the inner solar system by Halley’s comet. Both are named after the constellations that the “shooting stars” appear to emanate from. They can, however, be seen anywhere in the night sky.
NASA has this to say about the meteor shower:
“The Eta Aquarids peak during early May each year. Eta Aquarid meteors are known for their speed, with the meteors traveling at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into Earth’s atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave glowing “trains” (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor) which last for several seconds to minutes. In general, about 30 to 50 Eta Aquarid meteors can be seen per hour during their peak.”
Currently in the constellation Hydra, “the water snake,” Halley’s comet will next be visible from Earth in the summer of 2061 when it’s expected to come much closer—and, therefore, be much brighter—that is was in 1986. However, each year its remains in the inner solar system remind us of its periodic presence.
When is the best time to view the Eta-Aqaurid meteor shower?
The Eta-Aqaurids occur between April 19 to May 28, but peaks this year on May 5-6. The general advice is to get outside around midnight—when the constellation Aquarius is highest in the sky—and preferably be in a dark sky destination (i.e. as far from an urban area as possible).
How to see the Eta-Aqaurid meteor shower, even with a Full “Flower Moon”
Even though May 5th should have been the best day to view the shower, in 2023, that date coincided with the rise of the full “Flower Moon.” Even though that may not have been a complete deal-breaker -this particular meteor shower is known for meteors with particularly bright wakes – you may be able to see it even better right now.
In a dark sky between 10 and 30 meteors are expected each hour during the peak of the Eta-Aquarids (though it’s the southern hemisphere that tend to see higher rates), but given the position of the Moon there’s little point in finding a dark location. Still, it’s often possible to see with the naked eye a bright “shooting star” that appears super-bright for perhaps a second.
How to photograph the Eta-Aquarids meteor shower
Perhaps the best way to get a glimpse of a bit of Halley’s comet this year is by using a camera. Put a DSLR or mirrorless camera in your backyard and have it take a series of 30-second exposures and it may pick-up a bright “shooting star” or two. A wide-angle lens (14 mm or similar), a tripod, f/2.8 aperture and ISO 800 are recommended. Use infinity focus, fiddle with the settings until you have a good balanced image of the night sky that shows sharp stars (point it away from the Moon and its trajectory) then put your camera on continuous mode.
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Photo Credit: davidhoffmann photography / Shutterstock.com