Halley’s meteors can be seen in the early hours of Sunday

The passage of the 2024 Eta Aquaridis (or Eta Aquaridis) meteors can be seen with the naked eye in the Brazilian sky between the night of this Saturday (4) and the early hours of Sunday (5).

The peak is expected at 2 a.m. on Sunday.

According to the National Observatory of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the astronomical event could produce up to 50 meteors per hour at a speed of 65.5 kilometers per second.

In terms of ideal darkness and weather conditions, forecasts indicate that the waning moon will only be 14% illuminated that night, which should help with meteor sightings as it won’t have much of an impact on the sky’s illumination. Light pollution and weather conditions, such as cloudy skies, also make it difficult to monitor this phenomenon.

The Eta Aquaridus shower, also called the meteor shower, is an annual astronomical event that occurs when Earth passes through fragments left behind by Halley’s Comet.

This phenomenon generally occurs in the Southern Hemisphere during the months of April and May, and the peak of the illuminated scene typically occurs in early May. The meteors appear to come from the constellation Aquarius, hence the name ‘Eta Aquarius’.

These meteorites are “famous for their high speed and long distances, which makes them amazing to observe,” explains astronomer Marcelo Antonio, the Brazilian meteorite research project coordinator of the EXOSS Citizen Science project, partner at the National Observatory.

This year, the first parts of Halley’s Comet have been seen crossing the Santa Catarina sky since Wednesday.

Meteors

Meteors are small celestial bodies that cross space, enter the planet’s atmosphere and partially or completely ignite as a result of interaction with the atmosphere and oxygen. This phenomenon creates a brightness in the sky, colloquially known as a ‘shooting star’.

A meteor shower is formed when many meteor debris cross the night sky and originate from a common point called the Radiant.

Studying meteors helps estimate the number and period of occurrence of these celestial bodies that periodically pass by Earth. The analyzes are useful for space missions and satellite control centers to protect equipment in orbit near Earth and the moon, such as satellites and spacecraft flights.