SINGAPORE: Stargazers who missed the Lyrids meteor shower in April can still look forward to another spectacular cosmic display when the annual Eta Aquarids meteor shower peaks from May 6 to 7.
During this time, observers can catch about 10 meteors, or “shooting stars”, per hour, The Observatory at Science Centre Singapore said.
The Eta Aquarids meteors are rocks from Halley’s Comet. They are known for their speed, entering the Earth’s upper atmosphere at around 65km per second and leaving glowing “trains” that can last from several seconds to minutes.
The celestial phenomenon, which will be visible to the naked eye, is best viewed after 1am when there is less ambient lighting, The Observatory advised.
Going to darker locations such as parks, beaches, reservoirs or open spaces away from city lights are also recommended, though weather conditions and frequent cloud cover can affect visibility.
“After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors,” reads NASA’s advice for catching a glimpse of the Eta Aquarids.
Annual meteor showers are named after their radiant point – the point in the sky where they look like they come from. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is named after Eta Aquarii, one of the brightest stars in the Aquarius constellation.
The star will rise in the east at around 3am during the meteor shower’s peak, but it is still possible for meteors to appear in other parts of the sky while the radiant point is below the horizon, The Observatory said.
The moon will rise at around 11pm to midnight on May 6 and 7, according to astronomy site timeanddate.com. Because the moon will be in its waning gibbous phase – meaning it will be more than half lit – it may wash out the fainter meteors.
The meteor shower has been active since April 20 and may be visible until May 21.
In 2025, an ST reader, who wanted to be known only as Ms May T, said she saw a cluster of at least 18 meteors on May 6, between 3.30am and 4.40am at Tai Keng Gardens, a private estate in Hougang.
It was her first time witnessing a meteor shower and she managed to capture several shots of it.
The other annual meteor shower produced by debris from Halley’s Comet is the Orionids, which will occur in October.
Halley’s Comet takes around 76 years to go around the Sun. It is currently past Neptune and is moving back towards the inner solar system. It is expected to be visible from Earth in 2061. - The Straits Times/ANN
