The Delta Aquarid meteor shower is here, peaking these days.
As reported by NASA in Spanishmeteors Delta Aquarids They are best observed in the Southern Hemisphere, as their radiant is higher in the sky, but they are also visible in the Northern Hemisphere with slightly less activity. Radiant Delta Aquarids. It is located above the horizon from midnight until dawn.
This year’s rains from the Delta Aquarids
This year 2024 will be a good year to see this rain, considering that the maximum falls three days after the last quarterwhich will not significantly worsen vision. In particular, the maximum amount of precipitation is expected on the night of July 30-31. In ideal conditionsIn dark skies without a moon (or light pollution), the Delta Aquarids can peak between 15 and 20 meteors per hour.
It is believed that Delta Aquarid meteors may originate from comet 96P Machholza short-period comet that orbits the Sun approximately every 5 years.
A meteor shower occurs when Our planet crosses the orbital path of a cometThis orbit is filled with particles from the comet’s tail, which enter the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up due to friction with the air, thus creating the luminous glow we know as a meteor or shooting star.
The corresponding meteor shower apparently has a single center of origin – the point from which all shooting stars seem to emerge. This point is called the “radiant” and its location is used to name the meteor shower. So, The radiant of the Delta Aquarids is located in the stellar delta.called Skat, from the constellation Aquarius.
The viewing location can be anywhere, as long as there is a dark sky. It is preferable to observe from a place with few obstructions to the view (for example, buildings, trees or mountains) and not to use optical devices that limit the field of view. Although the Delta Aquarids appear to originate from the constellation Aquarius (hence their name)can be seen at any point in the sky. It is advisable to direct your gaze towards the darkest areas, in the direction opposite to the position of the Moon, if the observation is carried out in its presence. It is most convenient to lie down and wait until your eyes get used to the darkness.