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To begin the month of May, one of the most spectacular astronomical events will streak across the sky in the northern hemisphere. It is the Eta Aquarid meteor shower and it stands out because, in addition to being spectacular, it is related to Halley's Comet, as is the case with the Orionid meteor shower, which occurs during the month of October.
The Eta Aquarids are the remnants of Halley's Comet, which appear annually from mid-April to late May. On May 5, they reach their peak, with up to 30 meteors per hour if the sky is dark and clear.
According to NASA, the Eta Aquarids travel at an impressive speed of 40.7 miles per second as they enter the Earth's atmosphere. However, the best time to see them is in places close to the tropics, such as the Canary Islands and the southern hemisphere, although they can also be seen in some parts of the northern hemisphere, where their frequency is considerably lower, with only about 10 meteors
These meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius and can be seen practically throughout the northern hemisphere, as far as Canada, as long as there are suitable conditions of darkness and clear skies.
When to see the Eta Aquarids?
This meteor shower occurs approximately between April 19 and May 28, but its peak is expected in the early hours of May 6, around 4:00 a.m. and will increase towards dawn, when it is the point of greatest concentration
By that time the moon will have entered the first quarter phase, two days earlier, and its light will interfere with visibility.