Lianhe Zaobao photojournalist Jason Lee said he saw only one meteor over 3½ hours. - LIANHE ZAOBAO PHOTO: JASON LEE
SINGAPORE: Hopes for a celestial spectacle were running high, but skywatchers across Singapore were left largely disappointed during the peak of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower in the early hours of May 6 and 7, with several reporting spotting just one meteor over a number of hours.
This particular meteor shower occurs annually when the Earth passes through debris left behind by Halley’s Comet – arguably the most famous comet in history, known for being visible with the naked eye roughly every 76 years.
The meteor shower is typically more visible in the Southern Hemisphere, where observers may catch up to 50 meteors an hour under ideal conditions.
In Singapore, however, clear skies offered little payoff.
In the early hours of May 6, Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao photojournalist Jason Lee, who was on assignment at Champions Green – a housing estate near Singapore Sports School in Woodlands – said he saw only one meteor over 3½ hours.
Speaking with The Straits Times, the photojournalist said: “It didn’t feel worth the wait.”
He added that the meteor “looked quite different from what one would normally expect a meteor to be”.
A netizen, who goes by “Mycandidphotoshot Gates” on Facebook, said in a post that he had tried his luck at one of the least illuminated areas in Singapore – Changi Beach Park – in the early hours of May 6.
“Skies were mostly clear. I spotted one meteor with a light trail that lasted about two seconds while setting up my camera,” he wrote. “I was stoked and thought more would follow. I was wrong.”
He added that he spent the next four hours scanning the sky in vain, even double-checking the coordinates. “It was supposed to be more active in the south-east. Utterly disappointed,” he said.
In response to previous queries regarding visibility of cosmic events from Singapore, the Science Centre Singapore observatory said that light pollution, erratic weather and frequent cloud cover can all impact the chances of observing cosmic events from the island.
“Meteor showers are relatively faint, and dark, clear skies are required to view them,” the observatory added, noting that visibility also depends on the nature of the specific cosmic event.
Meanwhile, overseas enthusiasts had better luck. Social media was filled with vivid photos and videos from countries with darker skies and better visibility, showing bright streaks lighting up the early morning heavens.
The Eta Aquarids will continue until late May, but given the poor visibility even during its peak, further sightings in Singapore are unlikely. - The Straits Times/ANN
