From 3 May to 7 May, we’re gifted one of the year best meteor shower – Eta Aquarid meteor shower. Aquarids are the debris left by Halley’s Comet of which last closest approach was in 1986. For this year, the moon is new and the Aquarids stay at full strength over the 5 days. This time, Aquarids favor us and the southern region. Expect a spectacular meteor shower! 
The radiant of Aquarids lies low at eastern sky in northern latitude region and lies at zenith (overhead) in southern hemisphere. So, Aquarids favor southern hemisphere more. You can observe the most meteors when the radiant is overhead. However, Aquarids are usually bright meteors so the northern people can occasionally catch them too. The peak rate in northern hemisphere is 30/hour and increased to 70/hour in southern hemisphere.
Tips:
- Look east before dawn
- Choose a site where obstruction is minimal and sky is the darkest.
- Dress warmly
You may see the fireballs
Earthgrazers are meteors that skim horizontally through the upper atmosphere. They are slow and dramatic, streaking far across the sky. The best time to look for Earthgrazers is between 2:00 to 2:30 a.m. local time when Aquarius is just peeking above the horizon.
Facts
- Eta Aquarid meteoroids hit Earth’s atmosphere traveling 66 km/s.
- Typical eta Aquarid meteors are as bright as a 3rd magnitude star.
