Summers are not only a great season for some sweet treats but also for some sweet surprises. The best of these can be a night spent stargazing with your partner. Next week, you can enjoy not one but two such opportunities where the sky will be illuminated with about 25 shooting stars per hour.Two minor meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids, will peak overnight on July 29-30, making the two nights the perfect time for some stargazing for astronomy lovers and romance lovers alike.
Southern Delta Aquariids: Areas, timing, and how to watch
Image credits: X
The stronger of the two showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids is expected to shoot 20 meteors per hour at its peak. Active from July 18 to August 12, the shower is also known for its faint trails.The peak of the shower will be broad between July 24 and July 31 and will be best seen from the Southern Hemisphere. Those in the northern hemisphere are advised by NASA to catch a sight by “looking halfway between the horizon and the zenith, and 45 degrees from the constellation of Aquarius.” They can best be viewed in the pre-dawn hours, away from the city lights.
Alpha Capricornids: Areas, timing, and how to watch
Image credits: X
The second meteor shower is the Alpha Capricornids, which has been in the skies since July 12 and will remain visible till August 22. While the speed of this one is relatively slow and rarely more than five meteorites will appear in a row, it is considerable for its fireballs that are dazzling and appear brighter than any single star.To view these fireballs, also known as meteorites, the American Meteorological Society suggested waiting until they reached their highest point in the night sky, around midnight to 1 o’clock and looking south. The peak here will be reached between 29 and 30 July.For best views, it is best to find a dark sky area with clear views towards the south. In terms of viewing areas, this shower is visible from both hemispheres.
What is a meteor shower?
Image credits: X
While orbiting around the sun, many times a year, Earth passes through the debris left by comets and asteroids. When these fast-moving space rocks enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they encounter resistance and burn up, resulting in a glow and a fiery tail. While the Delta Aquariids are debris from the comet 96P/Machholz, the Alpha Capricornids originate from the comet 169P/NEAT.