05/03/2018 – Ephemeris – The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is coming

Ephemeris for Thursday, May 3rd. The Sun rises at 6:29. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 8:50. The Moon, half way from full to last quarter, will rise at 12:26 tomorrow morning.

Saturday morning at about 3 a.m. is the predicted peak of the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower. The bright Moon will interfere with all but the brightest, however something interesting is afoot. I download the International Meteor Organization Meteor Calendar every year. An Internet search for the name will get you to it. It seems that the Maya had recorded the shower’s appearance along with other meteor showers. There are other peaks to this shower on the mornings possibly through the 6th. Meteors of this shower, are caused by particles released by Halley’s Comet on past swings through the inner solar system. The meteors will appear to come from low in the southeastern sky. They will be seen after 3:30 a.m.

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

Addendum

The Eta Aquariid radiant at the peak of the shower. The radiant moves slowly to the east with time. Credit: Bob Moler’s 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.