Vietnam welcomes the Eta Aquarids meteor shower

According to the Vietnam Association of Astronomy and Cosmology (VACA), the most ideal time to observe this phenomenon is the early morning of May 6, about after 2 a.m. until dawn. However, on the night before and after this time, astronomy lovers can also see many meteors if there are good observing conditions.

The observation time mentioned above corresponds to the waning moon phase. Moonlight will interfere with observing faint meteors, so the brightest meteors can only be seen in areas of the sky that are less affected by moonlight. Besides, those in areas with less urban light pollution and clear clouds also have a better opportunity to observe. “In general, this year’s Eta Aquarids meteor shower is difficult to observe,” Mr. Dang Vu Tuan Son, Chairman of VACA, said, adding that because the weather in the next few days in many places in Vietnam will be cloudy or rainy, only ideal weather areas will be able to observe.

The meteor shower is named after the constellation that, when viewed from Earth, appears to be where the shooting stars originate. In the case of the Eta Aquarids, this constellation is Aquarius.

On maximum night, when the constellation Aquarius is high enough (about 2 a.m. onwards) and the eyes have adjusted to the dark sky (usually takes 10-15 minutes), observers can see about 20-30 meteors per hour in places with ideal conditions. Although the central region is the constellation Aquarius, the Eta Aquarids’ meteors can actually come from many other directions.

Theo Spacethis year’s Eta Aquarids meteor shower takes place from April 19 to May 28. In the tropical region of the Southern Hemisphere, Eta Aquariids is one of the most frequent meteor showers of the year. From the equator northwards, the average frequency only reaches about 10-30 meteors per hour before dawn.

According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the maximum frequency of meteors in a clear sky is about 50 meteors per hour. They can rush through the sky at a speed of about 66 kilometers per second.

The Eta Aquarids meteor shower originates from Comet Halley. NASA explains that when Halley moved into space in the inner solar system, its nucleus emitted pieces of ice and rock into space. Every time the Earth passes through this area, comet debris will collide with the Earth’s atmosphere, burn up and become meteors streaking across the sky.

Halley is a short-period comet that comes close to the Sun every 76 years and can be observed from Earth. The next time this comet returns will be in 2061.

Halley is named after the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742). He studied reports of comets approaching Earth in 1531, 1607, and 1682 and concluded that they were all the same comet. Edmond even correctly predicted it would resume in 1758, even though he died before then and could not witness it with his own eyes.