How to watch the Eta Aquarids meteor shower this weekend
This weekend, we all have the opportunity to see something beautiful in the night sky — no matter where we are.
The Earth is currently passing through a cloud of debris left behind by Halley's Comet, and the result will be a stunning meteor shower that's visible from almost anywhere on the planet. While the Southern Hemisphere will get the best view, of around 40 visible meteors per hour during the peak, the Northern Hemisphere won't be too bad off: You can expect to see between 10 and 30 meteors per hour, depending on your location.
The meteor shower is expected to peak on Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning, AccuWeather reports. The Eta Aquarids, as they are known, will be even more visible than usual, because the new moon means that less ambient light will be in the sky, allowing even the dimmer meteors to shine.
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If you're the stargazing type, you'd better do your best to catch this shower — it'll be the last one until the end of July, when there'll be a stunning double meteor shower on the same night.
Your best bet to see the most meteors is to go somewhere with clear skies, little light pollution, and lie down, in order "to take in as much of the night sky as possible," AccuWeather explained. And patience is key — you might see nothing for up to 20 minutes as your eyes get used to the dark. That means no peeking at your cell phone or any light sources while you're trying to spot a meteor.
Learn more about the best way to catch the Eta Aquarids at AccuWeather.
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Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
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