when and where to see Eta Aquarids on the islands
On May 5, residents of the village. Canary Islands there will be an opportunity to enjoy a magnificent spectacle Eta AquaridsOf course, if weather conditions permit.
This is truly a special moment because Comet HalleyThe protagonist of the next meteor shower will not approach Earth again until 2061.
When to see them on the islands
This astronomical event is scheduled for night from Sunday to Monday, around 22:00 on the islands..
There are three regions in the Canary Islands that have received prestigious recognition Star Reserve, which means they offer the perfect sky for stargazing. All the Canary Islands have places that are especially suitable for observing this astronomical phenomenon.
Where to see eta aquarids in the Canary Islands
IN TenerifeThe El Palmar observation deck is a great place to admire the stars while in IronOrcilla Lighthouse provides an unprecedented enclave for this purpose. In its turn, La Gomera There is the Alto de Garajonay, located at an altitude of 1487 meters, and Palm It offers breathtaking views from the Mirador de Sant Borondon.
Gran Canaria From here you have an impressive view of the Llanos de Garañon, located at an altitude of 1,700 meters above sea level. IN Fuerteventura, the Morro Velos viewpoint provides a privileged view, even allowing you to see the North Star. Meanwhile in Lanzarote And GraciousThe Peñas del Chas viewpoint offers exceptional conditions for astronomical observations.
Halley’s Rain of Tears
The Eta Aquarids share a common origin with Halley’s Comet, as does the Orionid meteor shower that occurs in October. According to the National Astronomical Observatory (OAN), the activity of these meteors ranges from 40 to 85 per hour. significant speed of about 66 kilometers per second.
For mid-latitude observers, the Eta Aquarid radiant rises above the horizon from about four hours after midnight until dawn.
Meteors that are part of the Eta Aquarids. fragments of Comet 1/P Halley, whose orbit around the Sun occurs every 76 years. The last time Halley’s Comet was seen from Earth was in 1986. Every year on these dates, our planet passes through a ring populated by fragments torn off from this comet.
When one of these fragments, known as meteoroids, comes into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere, burns up due to friction with the air, thus creating the luminous glow we know as a meteor or shooting star. Besides Eta Aquarid, Halley’s Comet is also responsible for another meteor shower, the Orionids.the maximum of which occurs around October 21.
Notably, each meteor shower appears to have a single point of origin, known as a “radiant”, from which all shooting stars originate. In the case of the Eta Aquarids, their radiant is located in the star Eta of the constellation Aquarius, from which their name comes.