The Eta Aquariids meteor shower will dazzle this week – CNN

Predictions of the peak vary, however, and the shower still should be visible in the hours before dawn on May 4, 5 and 6, 2022, according to EarthSky.

The Eta Aquariids, named after the Aquarius constellation, derive from the debris of Halley’s Comet, the well-known comet that is visible from earth every 76 years, according to NASA. The last time the comet was spotted in our sky was in 1986, and it won’t appear again until 2061.

While the Eta Aquariids are visible from both the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, they are best viewed in the Southern Hemisphere where the meteors will rise the highest in the night sky, according to NASA.

In the northern hemisphere, the meteors will appear lower in the sky as “earthgrazers,” meaning they will skim the Earth’s horizon, according to NASA.

The shower will remain active until May 27.

More meteor showers to see

The Delta Aquariids are best seen from the southern tropics and will peak between July 28 and 29, when the moon is 74% full.

Interestingly, another meteor shower peaks on the same night — the Alpha Capricornids. Although this is a much weaker shower, it has been known to produce some bright fireballs during its peak. It will be visible for everyone, regardless of which side of the equator they are on.

The Perseid meteor shower, the most popular of the year, will peak between August 11 and 12 in the Northern Hemisphere, when the moon is only 13% full.

Full moons in 2021

There are eight full moons still to come in 2022, with two of them qualifying as supermoons.

Some astronomers say that the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — which is its closest approach to Earth in orbit. By that definition, the full moon for June as well as the one in July will be considered supermoon events.

Solar and lunar eclipses

Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as the sun’s light can be damaging to the eye.

There will also be two total lunar eclipses in 2022.

A total lunar eclipse will be visible to those in Europe, Africa, South America and North America (except for those in northwestern regions) between 9:31 p.m. ET on May 15 and 2:52 a.m. ET on May 16.

Another total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET — but the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.

When the full moon moves into Earth’s shadow, it darkens, but it won’t disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere lights the moon in a dramatic fashion, turning it red — which is why this event is often referred to as a “blood moon.”

Depending on the weather conditions in your area, the moon may appear rusty, brick-colored or blood red.

This color variability happens because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the most dominant color highlighted as sunlight passes through our atmosphere and casts it onto the moon.