Halley’s comet meteor shower will light up the skies on 6 May - here’s how to see it
On 6 May meteors will light up the sky as the annual Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks, with up to 40 comet remnants an hour visible from some areas.
The shower happens when Earth passes through the thick cloud of debris left by Halley’s Comet – and glowing remnants flash across the sky.
It’s traditionally more visible from the Southern hemisphere, but will peak on the night of May 6 – and could be visible just before dawn in the UK.
Robert Lunsford of the International Meteor Organisation says, ‘There is no sharp peak for this shower, but rather a plateau of good rates that last approximately one week centered on May 6.’
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To see it, EarthSky magazine advises you should head out early in the morning – and give your eyes time to get used to the dark.
EarthSky says, ‘Give yourself at least an hour of viewing time for watching any meteor shower. Meteors tend to come in spurts that are interspersed by lulls. Also, it can take as long as 20 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark.
‘You need no special equipment to watch a meteor shower, but a little luck always helps.
‘Meteor watching is a lot like fishing. Sometimes you catch a good number of them and sometimes you don’t.
