Wish Upon A Shooting Star
If you look up at the clear night sky this weekend, you will be in for a treat. Three meteor showers are set to light up the night sky into August but this weekend the Delta Aquariid meteor shower is looking to peak on July 30th. Ongoing now as well is the better-known Perseid Meteor shower which is set to peak around August 13th this year. Also, on is the Alpha Capricornids.
The meteor showers are caused as the earth passes near the debris of comets. The Delta by the Machholtz Comet will produce around 15-20 meteors an hour at peak. The Perseids by the Swift-Tuttle Comet and will produce 100-200 meteors an hour at peak. The Alpha Capricornids caused by the NEAT comet only produce around 5 meteors an hour but are usually slow-moving bright and colourful balls of fire.
The best time to view will be around 2 am to dawn as the moon sets giving the best dark sky probability.
By Jenny Hagan
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