Let’s talk April showers.
Meteor showers, that is.
The Eta Aquarid shower begins around April 20 and lasts for roughly a month, promising scenes like this (if you’re near Devil’s Tower in Wyoming on a clear, clear night):
Photo by David Kingham via Flickr
The Eta Aquarids, shooting stars extraordinaire, are actually blazing bits of stellar debris that rain from the tail of Halley’s Comet.
“The Earth passes through the debris left behind by the comet every year in the spring and autumn,” explains Mother Nature Network. “The spring showers are called the Eta Aquarids because they’re named for the constellation from which they appear to radiate, the constellation Aquarius.”
Image courtesy of Till Credner of AlltheSky.com via Wikimedia Commons
Doesn’t that all sound somehow romantic?
Photo by Unsplash via Pixabay
Stargazing, you know, is one of my sweet spots …
There’s something about gazing up into a starry night sky that is deeply soul stirring. The sight of all that infinite diamond-studded darkness has the power to erase the trappings of modern life, bringing us back to a more primal part of ourselves, a part that is still exuberantly wild.
(Read more about my passion for dark skies here: Carpe Noctum—Seize the Night!)
But, back to the meteors at hand.
Rumor has it that the BEST time to get a glimpse of the Eta Aquarids show will be the crack of dawn on May 5 or 6 because the moon will be in hiding during its new (dark) phase.
If you spot them, do tell!
The Eta Aquarius show might just be the Jubilee Preview for those Farmgirls living where the viewing will be best! I bet your farm often gets a front row seat to displays like this with your vast skyline. We will be flying all night May 5 and I wonder if one can see shooting stars from a window seat on Delta? I am going to keep it in mind and ask when I get on board. At 30,000+ feet, I wonder if such events are visible? People can see the Northern Lights on planes so why not meteorites?
From a plane, it might be fabulous. Might be the best view someone could have.
We’ll be watching, although our view here is limited by the lights around us. Sure would like to see the stars from out your way some time! Meanwhile, it might be a good night to visit the observatory.
Drat! We’ll be in the “city” those two nights, but maybe when we’re up the hill on the 2nd and 3rd they’ll come out early for us!
Those meteor showers look beautiful! I wish I lived closer so I had a great advantage of seeing them. I will have to see if I can see them from where I live. Fingers crossed!