The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will peak over night from May 5-6, offering skywatchers an opportunity to identify fast-moving “shooting stars” developed by particles from Halley’s Comet.

The Eta Aquariids (likewise spelled Eta Aquarids) are active from April 19 to May 28 each year, with meteors appearing to radiate from the constellation Aquarius, particularly near the star Eta Aquarii, according to Time and DateThe star, which is 168 light-years away, shows up to the naked eye– nevertheless, that far-off star truly has absolutely nothing to do with the shower.

Halley’s Comet is presently taking a trip through the external reaches of the planetary system, beyond the orbit of Neptune. Two times each year, Earth passes through the path of dust and particles that the comet has actually formerly left behind. That produces both the Eta Aquariids in April and May and the Orionid meteor shower from early October to early November.

As Earth moves through Halley’s particles, small particles go into the environment at around 40.7 miles per 2nd (65.4 kilometers per second), according to the American Meteor Societyproducing speedy meteors and relentless radiant routes. Intense fireballs are possible, however unusual. Eta Aquariid activity is greatest for about a week fixated the peak night.

From the Northern Hemisphere, the shower normally produces medium rates of around 10 to 30 meteors per hour. That’s due to the fact that the glowing, Eta Aquarii, remains fairly short on the eastern horizon. Meteors might still appear as long “Earthgrazers” that skim low throughout the sky.

The Eta Aquariids are greatest when seen from the Southern tropics, where the glowing increases higher in the sky before dawn. Under perfect dark-sky conditions, as much as 50 meteors per hour are possible.