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Metro
a day ago
- Science
- Metro
Here's how to see the Delta Aquariid meteor shower in the UK this week
Stargazers are in for a treat as a breathtaking meteor shower peaks across the UK this week. The Delta Aquariid, also known as the Southern Delta Aquariids, will light up the sky most brightly tomorrow night. While the meteor shower is more visible, as its name implies, in the Southern Hemisphere, the UK and the wider Northern Hemisphere can still catch a good show, experts told Metro. Some meteor showers are caused by comets, dirty snowballs made of the leftovers from the start of our solar system around 4.6billion years ago. Comets leave behind trails of ice and rock that linger in space years after they leave, said Dr Cyrielle Opitom, of the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. She told Metro: 'Small dust particles left behind then enter the atmosphere and become meteors. This is usually the source of meteor showers. 'Other times, random small asteroids or pieces of rock not related to a comet enter the atmosphere and can also become meteors.' When the comet waste enters the atmosphere, it hits the sky at such speed that it bursts into flames, causing a celestial fireworks display. Scientists aren't 100% sure which comet is behind the Delta Aquariid, though they suspect it's from the 3.7-mile-wide Comet 96P Machholz, says Charlotte Bays, the secretary of the space rock monitoring group UK Fireball Alliance. The shooting stars case occurs as the Earth 'passes through the stream of debris shed' by the snowball, said Bays. 'It is also what we call a 'short-period' comet, completing an orbit every 5.24 years; this year,' she added. The debris you're seeing isn't from the comet passing by; it's just the trail it left behind years ago. The next time Comet 96P Machholz will glide past us is June 16, 2028. Astronomers named the shower after the constellation Aquarius and its brightest star, Delta Aquarii, which is the point of the sky from which the meteors seem to come. Typically, the Earth passes through the cosmic rubble from late July to early August. This year, the shower will peak on the night of Tuesday July 30, but remain visible until August 23. The peak, which is when Earth reaches the densest part of the cosmic debris, is the best chance to see the meteor shower, explained Charlotte Bays, the secretary of the monitoring group UK Fireball Alliance. Stargazers can expect up to 20 meteors an hour for days with a dark sky and no pesky Moon. About one in 10 Delta Aquariid meteors have persistent trains, glowing gassy trails that give these space rocks their iconic shape. While you might assume you need a fancy telescope or binoculars to see the meteors, the naked eye is best, as the tech limits your field of vision. To see a meteor shower you need to get to a place that has a clear view of the night sky, recommended Dr Edward Bloomer, senior astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Ideally, that's as far away as possible from cities, street lights and traffic. Planetariums, astronomy clubs or even maps like this one for light pollution and this for nighttime brightness can help. But stargazers have two other foes – the weather and the Moon. So, it's always best to check the weather report for that night as well as how visible the Moon will be. Be prepared for long stretches where nothing happens, Dr Bloomer half-joked, 'or little flurries of activity where you see several in quick succession'. 'The appearance is of a short-lived streak of light ('shooting stars' is pretty apt!) that will be radiating outwards from a point,' he added. 'Importantly, unless you've set up with recording equipment, a shooting star only lasts long enough for quite a personal experience: there's no time really to point it out to anyone before it will have disappears. 'It's always fun to go out and have a look with others, but you'll all have a unique encounter!' More Trending Dr Bloomer stressed, however, that the constellation Aquarius is fairly low on the horizon, which might make seeing the shower tricky. 'But it's not impossible,' he added. 'The number one thing is to give yourself time to adjust to the dark (put your phone away!) and be prepared to wait. 'The randomised arrival of the shooting stars means you need to have a little patience.' For those who might miss the shower, the International Meteor Organization lists all the meteor showers that can be seen this year. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Asteroid bigger than the Leaning Tower of Pisa to pass Earth in days MORE: We could get 'proof of aliens by Christmas' after 'interstellar visitor' flies past us MORE: Earth is spinning so fast that today will be shorter – but is time going faster?
1News
2 days ago
- Climate
- 1News
How to watch Tuesday's meteor showers — if the weather allows
Two meteor showers will light up the dark skies on Tuesday night, but whether the forecast will allow Kiwis to gaze upon the stars is an entirely different story. Southern delta-Aquarids and alpha-Capricornids will peak at the same time late tomorrow night until the the early hours of Wednesday morning. Stargazes should be able see 10 to 20 meteorites every hour of the Southern delta-Aquarids meteor, while it's rare to see more than five of the alpha-Capricornids in any one hour, but it can appear as bright as any star. This is expected be most visible between midnight and 1am, as the radiant (near a star called alpha Capricornii) reaches its highest point in the night sky. This image provided by NASA shows comet 96P Machholz which orbits the Sun about every 6 years, and is suspected to cause the Southern Delta Aquariids meteor showers. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT However, that may not matter if the weather forecast has anything to do about it. Cloud cover promises to spoil the meteor show, with much of New Zealand in for heavy rain, and strong winds. MetService has again issued heavy rain warnings for Tasman - a region still recovering from recent storms. A weather front, moving east across the country, is expected to bring up to 180mm of rain to the region. There were orange rain warnings in place for Tasman east and south of Motueka, Nelson and Marlborough west of Havelock, and north of the Wairau River, through to Tuesday evening. In the North Island there were strong wind warnings across Northland, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty expected on Tuesday. Coromandel residents might also get heavy rain, with a high chance of it reaching warning level. A heavy rain warning was already in place for Taranaki Maunga and a heavy rain watch for the central mountain ranges, while strong winds were possible to the south. If the clouds do stay away and rain allows you to adventure outside, the meteorites will be best observed with the naked eye. ADVERTISEMENT
Toronto Star
5 days ago
- Science
- Toronto Star
How to watch two meteor showers peak together in late July
This image provided by NASA shows comet 96P Machholz which orbits the Sun about every 6 years, and is suspected to cause the Southern Delta Aquariids meteor showers. (NASA/ESA/SOHO via AP) flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
The Guardian
21-07-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Starwatch: look out for the Delta Aquariids meteor shower
Start watching for the Delta Aquariids meteor shower this week. The chart shows the view looking south-east from London at midnight on 28 July. The radiate is marked. This is the point from which the meteors appear to radiate in all directions. Most annual meteor showers have a well-defined peak of activity, but the Delta Aquariids are a more drawn-out affair. Although the predictions place the peak somewhere between 28 and 30 July, the activity can be just as strong leading up to and after the moment. The moon will have set by midnight, meaning that even faint meteors will be visible. The maximum hourly rate lies in the 15-to-20 range, but these meteors are known to sometimes leave persistent trails in the sky that can be seen for minutes after the bright flash of the shooting star has passed. Generated from dust that was once in the tail of comet 96P/Machholz, the Delta Aquariids are just one meteor shower that it could have generated. The Arietids, a rare daytime meteor shower, may also have come from the same comet. The Delta Aquariids are more favourably placed in the southern hemisphere's skies, but observers in both hemispheres can enjoy the event.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to watch the Delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids meteor showers this July
The Fourth of July came and went, but that doesn't mean holiday fireworks are the only explosions in the sky this month. July will give stargazers two opportunities to check out meteor showers. Here's what to know if you plan on tuning in. Both the Southern Delta Aquariids – stemming from the constellation Aquarius – and the Alpha Capricornids – stemming from the constellation Capricorn – will appear in the night sky this month, according to the American Meteor Society. The Delta Aquariids produce medium-speed meteors that are faint, while the Alpha Capricornids produce slow-moving bright meteors. The Aquariids will be the grander of the two showers and is believed to be remnants of the comet 96P Machholz. During the shower's peak, viewers could witness 15 to 20 shooting stars each hour. The Capricornids, stemming from the periodic comet 169P/NEAT, will show viewers five shooting stars per hour, according to ICYMI: July's buck moon is coming soon. When to see next full moon, how it got its name The Delta Aquariids meteor shower is active from July 18 to Aug. 12, peaking from July 29 to July 30. They are best seen from the southern tropics. This year's waxing crescent moon setting before the radiant is high in the sky means viewing conditions will be most favorable during the morning hours. The Alpha Capricornids meteor shower is active from July 12 to Aug. 12, peaking from July 29 to July 30. The Capricornids will provide good viewing experiences on either side of the equator and are best viewed during the evening and early at night. The best spot for viewing is a dark area away from city lights with a clear view of the sky. If it's a high-altitude location, that's even better. Make sure you arrive about half an hour before the showers begin to give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. This allows you to better see fainter meteors, according to Alongside this double spectacle, viewers may also see early activity from the Perseids meteor shower. National spotlight: 'Good Morning America' meteorologist spotlights Delaware lifeguards during July 4 visit Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin atkgriffin@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: July meteor showers, Delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids, peaking soon
