They will have to compete with a bright moon that is 95% full, but the alpha capricorns can still produce some scintillating fireballs that could outshine the moon.
Aquarid deltas, also called southern delta aquarids, will favor southern hemisphere skywatchers, although they will still be visible in the northern hemisphere (especially the southern US) but lower on the horizon, according to EarthSky. .
The best time to view the delta aquarids is around 2 am Miami time in regions where the shower is visible, but a full moon can make these faint meteors harder to see. Expect to see the delta aquarids mixed in with the Perseid meteor shower, which has already started but won’t peak until mid-August, according to the American Meteor Society.
If you can’t see the aquarid deltas during their peak, there will be other possibilities because the rain lasts until August 21. Some of the meteors leave trails of glowing gas that persist for a few seconds after they burn up in Earth’s upper atmosphere.
The delta aquarids seem to come from the constellation of Aquarius, visible in the southern part of the sky, while the perseids will appear in the northern part of the sky. Aquarids take their name from the third brightest star in the constellation Aquarius, called Delta.
The delta aquarid meteor shower is created by comet 96P/Machholz. The comet, which completes one orbit around the Sun every five years, was discovered by amateur astronomer Donald Machholz in 1986.
Meanwhile, the much fainter and smaller Alpha Capricornid meteor shower typically produces about five visible meteors per hour during its peak, compared to 20 Delta Aquarid meteors per hour.
However, alpha capricorns make up for this small appearance by creating especially bright fireballs, which are observable in both the northern and southern hemispheres, according to the American Meteor Society.
Earlier this week, the rain unexpectedly produced multiple fireballs well before the peak, according to EarthSky. And luckily, the full moon won’t obscure their light because they are more luminous than Venus, one of the brightest objects in our night sky.
Patience is key when viewing the meteors. It can take up to 45 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark for optimal viewing. Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, but they appear brightest in the darkest sky.
The best way to view meteor showers is to sit in a reclining lawn chair or lie on your back and look up at the sky with a wide view. No special equipment is needed, but it helps to be as far away from artificial light as possible. If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to avoid city lights, which can make the meteor shower appear faint.
Here are some of the other celestial events that are anticipated for the rest of the year:
meteor showers
Each of the meteor showers expected to peak this year will be most visible from late afternoon until dawn in areas without light pollution. Here are the peak dates of these events:
● Perseids: August 12 and 13
● Orionids: October 20 and 21
● Southern Taurids: November 4 and 5
● Northern Taurids: November 11 and 12
● Leonidas: November 17 and 18
● Geminids: December 13 and 14
● Ursids: December 21 and 22
Full moons and supermoons
While most years have 12 full moons, 2023 will see 13 of these lunar events. There will be two supermoons in August, including a blue moon, which will be the closest moon to Earth this year, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The fourth and final supermoon of 2023 will be on September 29.
Here are the remaining full moons in 2023.
● August 1: Sturgeon Moon
● August 30: blue moon
● September 29: harvest moon
● October 28: Hunter’s Moon
● November 27: beaver moon
● December 26: cold moon
Lunar and solar eclipses
People in North, Central, and South America will be able to view an annular solar eclipse on October 14. During a solar eclipse, the Moon will pass between the Sun and Earth at or near its farthest point from Earth. The Moon will appear smaller than the Sun and surrounded by a bright halo.
To avoid eye damage, viewers should wear eclipse glasses.
A partial lunar eclipse will also take place on October 28. Only a part of the Moon will go into the shadow since the Sun, Earth, and Moon will not completely align. This partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Asia, Australia, parts of North America, and much of South Africa.
