The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is an important part of Halley's Comet, which passes the Earth once or twice in a person’s lifetime. The viewing of the meteor shower will be largely favourable in the UK if you live in an area with low light pollution, far from cities and other bright lights.
Viewers need no specialist equipment to see the spectacle although they are advised to allow up to 20 minutes to allow their eyes to adjust to the dark. The sky will be darker than usual because of the Moon’s cycle, which is currently in a crescent phase and 15 per cent full.
When was Halley’s Comet last visible and what is the peak time to see the shooting star spectacle? Here’s everything you need to know.
Read more: How to watch the Eta Aquariid meteor shower this weekend
What is a Comet?
Comets are found in the Solar System and they are lumps of ice, dust and rock that orbit the Sun. Astronomers believe they were born more than 4.5 billion years ago from the gas and dust of the protoplanetary disk, a rotating circular disk of dense gas surrounding a newly formed star. On the fringes of the disk, grains of dust coated with frozen gases and water began clumping together.
Over time, these clumps of dust assembled into ice-rich rocks, which then evolved into the mile-sized bodies that we can see today travelling among the planets.
When was Halley’s Comet last visible?
Halley’s Comet named after Edmond Halley, who first discovered the comet, is the most famous comet. This is because its discovery marked the first time astronomers understood comets are regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth.
Halley’s Comet is visible from Earth every 75 to 76 years. It last appeared in the inner parts of the Solar System in 1986.
When to see Halley's Comet shooting star spectacle
Halley’s Comet won’t be seen until mid-2061 but there’s some good news. The tail of the famed comet, previously known as Eta Aquarids meteor shower has left a trail of dust and debris in space streaking through the sky. The Eta Aquarids meteor happens annually and it begins on April 29 and fizzles out by May 28.
It produces 60 shooting stars that can be seen from the southern hemisphere Around 10 to 30 of the shooting stars can be seen in the northern hemisphere.
There is a peak time you can see the shooting stars from the UK. According to Royal Observatory Greenwich , it will peak between midnight on Thursday, May 5 and dawn on Friday, May 6. Don’t worry if you miss the meteor shower at its peak as it will be visible until May 28.
