Get Ready for 2 New Meteor Showers

Weather permitting, you could catch a glimpse of the Delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids this week
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 27, 2020 9:15 AM CDT
Goodbye, Neowise Comet. Hello, Meteor Showers
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Cylonphoto)

When the door for one sky show closes, another one opens—and with the comet Neowise starting to fade, two sets of meteor showers are ready to fill that slot. If the weather holds up, space enthusiasts should be able to catch a glimpse this week of both the Delta Aquariid and Alpha Capricornid meteors, with the former set to peak Monday through Wednesday, and the latter set for its biggest show on Thursday, USA Today reports. AccuWeather notes that your best chance for a "celestial double feature" would be Tuesday night, with prime viewing time after 1am.

The difference between the two meteor showers: You may spot up to 25 Delta Aquariid meteors per hour, though they're typically faint, per the American Meteor Society. The Alpha Capricornid showers, on the other hand, usually produce just five or so meteors per hour, but "what is notable about this shower is the number of bright fireballs produced," the AMS notes. The group says the Delta Aquariids will be active through Aug. 23, while the Capricornid meteors will keep doing their thing through Aug. 15. To best see either show, experts recommend finding a sky with little sky pollution, lying flat on your back or in a reclining lawn chair, and gazing toward the southern horizon. "In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors," NASA says, per CBS News. (More meteor shower stories.)

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