How to Watch the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower occurs annually when cosmic debris from the tail of Halley's comet passes through the atmosphere of the Earth.

The Eta Aquarids get their name from the appearance that the meteors originate within or near the constellation Aquarius.

Though not the most spectacular of meteor showers, close observation of the event typically shows some dozen meteors visible to the naked eye per hour.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 

   Save the date for the meteor shower. The Eta Aquarid shower peaks each year on or near May 5 or May 6.

2. 

   Reserve the time for the media shower. The best time to view the Eta Aquarids is in the early hours of the morning, right before dawn.

3. 

   Get away from town. City lights and other sources of light pollution will make it difficult to see meteors in the shower and difficult to enjoy this beautiful and interesting astronomical event. If you can't get away from the city entirely, a relatively darker area like a city park can be a reasonable substitute.

4. 

   Locate the constellation Aquarius in the night sky using a sky atlas or constellation map. Aquarius is situated in the part of the sky sphere sometimes known as The Sea because of the number of water-related constellations located there. Good sky maps and related tools are available on the World Wide Web.

5. Finally, hope for good weather and a clear sky!

[Cinzia]

on 4/23/2009 Thanks!*****