How to See the Peak of Two Meteor Showers at the Same Time
If you’re one of the many who got into stargazing and backyard astronomy during the pandemic, you’ve probably noticed that little has been happening in the night sky lately. All the usual suspects – stars, planets, the moon – are content to just roam space, and it’s been a long time since we had the good old meteor shower.
This does not mean that there were no meteors in the summer sky: as our own Sam Bloom already said, the Perseid meteor shower began earlier this month, but it will not peak until August 11-13. But on the night of July 28 – this is tomorrow – two different meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capracornids, will peak at the same time . Here’s how, where and when to watch and watch the show.
How to see meteor showers in the Southern Delta of Aquarius and Alpha Capracornids
According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), southern delta divers and alpha capracornids have their own strengths. On the one hand, Southern Aquarius Deltas produce more meteors when it rains, but they are usually weak and lack both stable plumes and fireballs. Alpha Capracornids, on the other hand, rarely produce more than five meteors per hour, but the ones that do appear are usually bright fireballs.
On the night of July 28, the Moon will be 74% full, which is not ideal for observing meteor showers, but does not make it impossible. While Aquarians in the southern delta will be best seen in the southern tropics, they will be visible anywhere in the northern hemisphere where “the radiant is lower in the southern sky,” according to AMS, which adds that alpha Capracornids can usually be seen equally well by those in the vicinity. on either side of the equator.
As for when to go outside, you should definitely wait for total darkness (the time this happens will depend on your location). As with most celestial phenomena, the darker the sky, the higher your chances of seeing something. Both showers will continue throughout the night and will peak shortly before dawn, according to the Griffith Observatory .
No fancy equipment is required to see these meteor showers. “You can experience the magic of the night without any equipment,” Jackie Faherty , a fellow at the Carnegie Observatory for Earths and Planets Science Laboratory, told Prevention , adding that it’s important to head out 15 to 20 minutes early to give your eyes time to get used to the dark, and nothing that looks at your phone while you wait will ruin your night vision.