By: Ellie Zhang 1

Delta Aquariids is a meteor shower named after the constellation of Aquarius and the star, Delta Aquarii. The spectacular meteoroids can be seen raining onto Earth’s atmosphere in the early hours of Tuesday, July 30th.

The Delta Aquariids are active between mid-July and late August. They can be difficult to spot, as their surroundings should have little to no light pollution. If the moon is visible in the sky, observers will not be able to view them.

Stargazers with the right environment and setup should be able to see approximately 20 meteors per hour between midnight and dawn.

The Delta Aquariids meteor shower rains pieces of rocks which can range in size from a grain of sand to a small asteroid. When they are still in space, meteors are called meteoroids; when one successfully lands on Earth, it is called a meteorite.

It is better to see the shower without a telescope, binocular, or any tool that expands the view. Michelle Nichols, the director of public observing at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, says, “You just need your eyes and, ideally, a dark sky.”

Most stargazers simply lie flat on a blanket, sleeping bag, or gaze in their lawn chair in a place flat and away from any light.

Ms. Nichols also recommends wearing layers, even during the summer. “You’re going to be sitting there for quite a while, watching,” she said in the New York Times. “It’s going to get chilly, even in August.”

The Delta Aquariids is not the only meteor shower this summer, as Alpha Capricornids is also reaching its peak this week. A third shower, the Perseids, is preparing for its mid-August peak.

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/science/meteor-shower-aquarids-capricornids-perseids.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cglk4vn0r6lo

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/delta-aquariids