Catch The Glimpse Of Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower On July 29-30

The spectacular Delta Aquarids, an annual meteor shower occurrence is considered to be one of the longest events usually observed from July 12 to August 23 every year. The nominal peak is from July 29th to July 30th.

The meteor shower is closely associated with the Eta Aquarids that have peaked in May. There's a crescent moon rising early in the evening. This weekend and next week, one could witness a moon-free view from midnight until dawn.

The name of the Delta Aquarids is derived from the constellation 'Aquarius' and in particular, the 'Delta Aquarids' are named for the third brightest star in the constellation, 'The Delta'.

NASA further added that, "As comets come around the sun, the dust they emit slowly spreads over the dusty path around their orbits. Each year the Earth moves through these debris tracks, causing the pieces to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to produce fiery and colorful streaks in the sky."

According to NASA's statement, “The Delta Aquarids are active in mid-July and are visible until the end of August. Such small meteors are difficult to detect, and if there is a moon, you would not be able to see them. If the moon is not present, the only chance to see the Delta Aquarids is when the meteor rate increases during the shower season at the end of July.”

The Delta Aquarid shower favours the Southern Hemisphere, but it is also great from the mid-Northern latitudes. For years where the moon is out of the way, the average volume of this shower can be predicted to produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour. But even in early August, one could see some Perseids as well.