July is going out with the potential for a celestial show with two meteor showers expected to peak around the same time.
Peaks for the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids overlap at the end of July.
The Aquarids, which started July 18 and are expected to last until Aug. 21, will peak July 29-30, according to the American Meteor Society. Capable of producing as many as 20 fast-moving meteors per hour, the Aquarids come from Comet 96P/Machholz, a periodic comet that orbits around the sun every 5.24 years, NASA said.
The Capricornids are active from July 7-Aug. 15, reaching its peak on July 30-31. While not considered a strong shower, it is notable for the number of bright fireballs it is capable of producing. Capricornids are produced by comet 169P/NEAT, an asteroid classified by NASA as “Near Earth” due to its orbital proximity to Earth. There’s no danger of a collision, however, and its next “close” approach – more than 25 million km from Earth – isn’t expected until Aug. 26.
Both of the showers are produced by debris from their respective asteroids. The debris burns up when it hits the Earth’s atmosphere, producing meteors often referred to as “shooting stars.” Meteor showers – a collection of meteors from the same source – are usually named after a star or constellation that is close to where the shooting stars appear to originate in the sky, NASA explained. For best viewing, however, you shouldn’t concentrate on one spot but rather allow your eyes to take in the entire sky. You should also go as far away from light pollution as possible and give your eyes at least 30 minutes to take in the entire night sky.
Weather conditions can always be an issue with any meteor event so if you don’t spot any of July’s showers, don’t worry. One of the strongest meteor showers of the year, the Perseids, will peak Aug. 11-12 with the capability of producing up to 75 meteors per hour.
