Meteor Shower Set To Light Up The Night Skies

A meteor shower from the tail of Halley’s Comet is due to peak this week creating a display across the May night skies The dusty debris that Halley’s Comet has shed on its 75-year-long laps around the sun slams into Earth’s atmosphere during the first week of May every year, creating an annual meteor shower known as the Eta Aquarids A new Moon on May 6 will create favorable conditions for observers to see the shower and astronomers suggest watching the shower just before dawn. Wales Online reports: Every year, Earth crosses the orbital path of Halley’s Comet in late April and May, so bits and pieces from this comet light up the sky as Eta Aquarid meteors. This shower is said to be active from April 19 to May 20, although it’s usually best seen in the UK around May 5 or 6. When does it happen? The 2016 Eta Aquarid meteor shower is expected to produce the greatest number of meteors in the small hours before dawn on May 5 and 6. However, the broad peak of the Eta Aquarid shower may present a decent showing of meteors during the hours before dawn on May 4 and May [...]