The Eta Aquarids are coming!
Beginning on April 21 the Earth will pass through the debris left behind by Halley's Comet, giving rise to the Eta Aquarid meteor shower! The meteor shower will last from April 21-May12, though the maximum will occur May 5-6. At the maximum you could see between 40 to 100 meteors per hour. Unfortunately the moon phase will be waxing gibbous and be 91% full during the maximum. Also be aware that the Eta Aquarids are a predawn event. They should appear between 1-2 hours before dawn on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. The Eta Aquarids appear to originate in Aquarius through they steak across the entire sky. If you're pulling a late night or early morning it will worth your time to go check out the Eta Aquarids this year. Keep in mind the average magnitude (brightness) of the meteors is about magnitude 3. From the clubs participation in the the GLOBE at night program this is the average magnitude that is visible in Bowling Green. This means that many of the meteors may appear quite faint if you within the city of Bowling Green. As you watch the show keep in mind what it is that you are seeing! Halley's Comet has left behind debris from passing through the solar system. The Earth will be passing through this debris, and heating up as it passes through our atmosphere. Eventually these small pieces of material begin to burn up and dazzle us with a brillant streak of light across the sky. This short event is only the end of a journey of cosmic proportions for a small bit of Halley's Comet!!