ETA AQUARIIDS METEOR
SHOWER - SCI & TECH
News: Explained: The Eta Aquariid meteor
shower and how it can be spotted
What's in the news?
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Eta Aquariids meteor showers are active from April
16 and will peak on May 5 and 6.
Key takeaways:
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These meteor showers are seen in May every year and
are best visible in countries such as Indonesia and Australia in the Southern
Hemisphere.
Eta Aquariids Meteor
Showers:
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The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is an annual celestial event that occurs when
Earth passes through the orbital plane
of Halley’s Comet.
Backdrop:
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It is named after the Aquarius constellation, where
its radiant point is located. Radiant points are the positions in the sky from
which meteor showers appear to originate.
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Eta Aquariids are associated with Halley’s Comet, which orbits the Sun
approximately once every 76 years. (The last time Halley’s Comet was
visible from Earth was in 1986, and
Halley’s comet is due to enter the inner solar system again in 2061).
Unique Characteristics:
1. Rapid Speed and
Glowing Tails:
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The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is known for its
rapid speed, resulting in long-lasting, glowing tails that can persist for
several minutes.
2. Observational Rates:
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Observers in the Southern Hemisphere typically
witness 30 to 40 meteors per hour during the peak, whereas viewers in the
Northern Hemisphere observe a lower rate of around 10 meteors per hour.
Why Does the Number of
Aquarid Meteors Decrease in the Northern hemisphere?
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The number of Aquarid meteors decreases in the
Northern Hemisphere due to their radiant
point’s position in the sky.
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In the hemisphere, the radiant point appears to be
skimming the earth. Hence termed as Earth
gazers.
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However, in the Southern Hemisphere, the radiant
points are higher in the sky and more visible. Hence the meteors are more
visible.
Go back to basics:
Comets and Meteors:
Comets:
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Comets consist of dust, rock, and ice.
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They travel around the Sun in highly elliptical orbits, with some taking hundreds of thousands of
years to complete one orbit.
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Currently, 3,910
comets are known, but many more are believed to exist beyond Neptune in
regions like the Kuiper Belt and the distant Oort cloud.
Meteors:
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Meteors are celestial objects, including rocks and
debris, that ignite and vaporize upon
entering Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in a luminous streak across the sky.
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Meteors are often referred to as shooting stars or falling stars.
However, they are not stars.
Relation Between Meteor
Showers and Comets:
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Comets play a significant role in meteor showers by shedding dust and debris along their orbits around the Sun.
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As comets approach the Sun, they heat up and
release gases and dust, forming a glowing head that can be larger than a
planet.