05/05/2015 – Ephemeris – Eta Aquariids, an early visit of Halley’s Comet

Ephemeris for Tuesday, May 5th.  Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 24 minutes, setting at 8:52.   The Moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 10:29 this evening.  Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:26.

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will reach peak tomorrow morning.  But the Moon will be bright, so only the brightest of them will be seen.  However if you’re waiting to see the return of Halley’s Comet, you needn’t wait until the main body of the comet returns in 2061.  Halley’s Comet has made many passes of the inner solar system in recorded history, and many more before that, returning to the inner solar system every 76 years or so, before returning to its frigid home beyond Neptune.  It’s closest to the Sun, called perihelion is inside Venus’ orbit.  On the way in and out it passes close to the Earth’s orbit.  It has left a trail of debris, which we pass through in May and again in October.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The Eta Aquariid radiant at 5 a.m. The radiant moves slowly to the east with time. Credit:  My LookingUp program.

We get two meteor showers from Halley’s Comet. The Orionids, when Halley is approaching the inner solar system, and the Eta Aquariids when it’s leaving. Credit:  My LookingUp program.