2023 Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower: How to Watch Despite Moonlight Interference

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is a beautiful astronomical event that takes place annually in the month of May. This meteor shower is created by the debris left behind by Halley’s Comet, and it can be seen in the sky for several weeks.

In May 2023, the Eta Aquariid meteor shower will be visible to skywatchers, but unfortunately, the full moon will make it difficult to see most of the meteors. The full moon falls on May 5, which is also the peak of the meteor shower. However, if you still want to try watching in moonlight, it is recommended to do so in the mornings of May 5, 6, and 7, in the hours before dawn. The radiant of the meteor shower rises in the early morning hours, climbing toward its highest point at dawn, making it the best time to watch this shower.

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower lasts from April 15 to May 27 and is expected to produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour under a dark sky with no moon in the southern half of the United States when the radiant is high in the sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the radiant is higher in the sky, you might see two to three times that number. However, the Eta Aquariids’ radiant is on the ecliptic, which rides low in the sky on spring mornings as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, making it less visible in the Northern Hemisphere.

In summary, the 2023 Eta Aquariids meteor shower will be a beautiful sight to see, but the full moon will obscure most of the meteors during its peak. However, if you are still interested in seeing the meteor shower, it is best to watch in the mornings of May 5, 6, and 7, in the hours before dawn.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eta_Aquariids

https://stmdailynews.com/category/science/astronomy/