Get ready for a double meteor shower, including one of the biggest and brightest of the year: the Perseids. In addition to the Perseids, the Southern Delta Aquariids are still active in August, while the Perseids are at their peak, creating a double meteor shower that those in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to enjoy in all its glory. (It may be difficult, though not impossible, for those in the Southern Hemisphere to see some of the Perseids, and thus the double shower; however, the Southern Delta Aquariids will be more prominent in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere.) Here’s everything you need to know to see this stunning spectacle.
How to see a meteor shower
To see the most meteors, you’ll need to see them in a clear, dark sky, in a location away from light sources. Moonlight can dim the light from meteors, so viewing conditions are best when there is little or no moonlight.
If you need a small amount of light to see where you’re going, use a red light instead of a white light. Unlike red light, white light impairs your night vision, or your ability to see objects in the dark, including meteors. If you use a red light, you won’t have to wait for your vision to adjust to the darkness.
You don’t need any special equipment like binoculars or telescopes. Using the naked eye is actually the best way to view a meteor shower because you need to be able to look at the entire sky to see as many meteors as possible. Telescopes and binoculars aren’t ideal for observing meteor showers because they limit your field of view and the meteors move too fast to be found in the lens of your equipment.
Meteor showers are named for their radiantor the constellation from which the meteorites appear to radiate. (Applications such as Stellarium either Aerial view It can be helpful to find them.) To see a meteor shower, you don’t need to look directly at the radiant, but you will need to make sure it is above the horizon, which is usually around midnight or later.
You’ll see the most meteors when the radiant is highest in the sky, but this isn’t necessary to enjoy a meteor shower.
The Southern Delta Aquariids
The Southern Delta Aquariids produce between 15 and 20 meteors per hour. These meteors are not as bright as the Perseids, but this meteor shower is still a stunning event that you won’t want to miss.
The Southern Delta Aquariids are active From July 18th to August 21stUnlike many meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids do not have a pronounced peak—in other words, the number of meteors increases steadily while the meteor shower is active. This means you’ll be able to see some Southern Delta Aquariids during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in mid-August.
Fortunately, moonlight will not be a problem in the first half of August. Until the night of August 11-12, when the Perseids reach their maximum, the moon will pass from a waning phase (12 percent full) to a new moon (0 percent full) to a crescent moon (35 percent full) until, finally, a first quarter moon (44 percent full). However, from early August until about August 14, the moon will set before or shortly after midnight local summer time, creating perfect observing conditions.
