Current:Home > reviewsBack-to-back meteor showers this week How to watch Delta Aquarids and Alpha Capricornids -ProfitPoint
Back-to-back meteor showers this week How to watch Delta Aquarids and Alpha Capricornids
View
Date:2025-04-18 08:58:03
Stargazers in southern states can rejoice over two meteor showers peaking around the same time as July flashes away.
Both the southern Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capricornids peak periods will nearly crossover on Tuesday, according the American Meteor Society. Observers can see the dual showers in the southern hemisphere and southern latitudes of the northern hemisphere.
These celestial events are best observed after midnight as some aren't visible prior and before the moon rises, EarthSky reported.
The Delta Aquarrids move at a medium speed, while the Alpha Capricornids moves at a slower pace, according to the Society for Popular Astronomy.
The double meteor showers serve a teaser for next month's Perseids, the most popular shower of the year expected to peak on August 11 and 12.
How to watch the Southern Delta Aquariids
The Southern Delta Aquariids will peak at on the night of July 29 going into July 30 when the moon will be 30% full, according to AMS. Moonlight should be a minor factor to watch this shower this year as the waning crescent moon rises in the early morning hours.
This shower, active between July 18 through August 21, is best observed from the southern tropics. AMS experts recommend to look toward the southwestern sky if the moon is above the horizon when viewing.
The celestial point in the sky where the paths of meteors seem to originate from, also known as the radiant, can be found north of the equator and located lower in the southern sky, according to the AMS.
"These are usually faint meteors that lack both persistent trains and fireballs," the AMS wrote.
How to watch the Alpha Capricornids
The Alpha Capricornids are expected to peak on the night of July 30 going into July 31 when the moon will be 20% full, according to AMS.
The shower started being active on July 7 and will continue through August 15. This event can be seen equally on either side of the equator, AMS reported.
"This shower is not very strong and rarely produces in excess of five shower members per hour," the AMS wrote. "What is notable about this shower is the number of bright fireballs produced during its activity period."
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- We Can't Calm Down After Seeing Taylor Swift's Night Out With Gigi Hadid, Blake Lively and HAIM
- Why Jenna Ortega Says Her Wednesday-Inspired Style Isn't Going Anywhere
- Climate change and a population boom could dry up the Great Salt Lake in 5 years
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Drake Bell’s Wife Janet Von Schmeling Files for Divorce After His Disappearance
- You'll Be Floating on Air After Hearing Ben Affleck's Praise for Superhuman Jennifer Lopez
- Andy Cohen Defends BFFs Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos After Negative Live Review
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- What to know about Brazil's election as Bolsonaro faces Lula, with major world impacts
Ranking
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Amber Borzotra Exits The Challenge World Championship Early After Learning She's Pregnant
- Let them eat... turnips? Tomato shortage in UK has politicians looking for answers
- California plans to cut incentives for home solar, worrying environmentalists
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Truck makers lobby to weaken U.S. climate policies, report finds
- Greenhouse gases reach a new record as nations fall behind on climate pledges
- Why Rachel McAdams Wanted to Show Her Armpit Hair and Body in All Its Glory
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Meet the sargassum belt, a 5,000-mile-long snake of seaweed circling Florida
20 Must-Have Amazon Products For People Who Are Always Spilling Things
Why Sleuths Have Determined Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Is Coming Soon
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Cameron Diaz Resumes Filming Back in Action Amid Co-Star Jamie Foxx's Hospitalization
Here is what scientists are doing to save Florida's coral reef before it's too late
Bindi Irwin Shares How Daughter Grace Honors Dad Steve Irwin’s Memory