See the Perseids and Southern Delta Aquariids in a Stunning Double Meteor Shower
Get ready for a double-shower with one of the biggest and brightest meteor showers of the year, the Perseids! In addition to the Perseids, the Southern Delta Aquariids continue into August while the Perseids are at their peak, creating a double-shower that those in the northern hemisphere will be able to enjoy in all its glory. (It may be difficult, but not impossible, for those in the southern hemisphere to see some of the Perseids and thus a double shower; however, the Southern Delta Aquariids will be more prominent in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere.) Here’s everything you need to know to catch this stunning show.
How to watch meteor shower
To see the most meteors, you’ll want to watch under clear, dark skies, away from bright light. Moonlight can dim the light of meteors, so the best viewing conditions are when there is little or no moonlight.
If you need a small amount of light to see where you’re going, use red lights instead of white lights. Unlike red lights, white lights disrupt your night vision or ability to see objects in the dark—including meteors. Using red lights means you won’t have to wait for your vision to adjust to the darkness.
You don’t need any special equipment like binoculars or a telescope. Using your naked eye is actually the best way to see a meteor shower, as you need to be able to see the entire sky to see as many meteors as possible—telescopes and binoculars aren’t ideal for watching meteor showers because they limit your field of view and the meteors move too fast to be visible through the lens of your device.
The meteor shower is named after radiationor the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate. (Applications such as Galaxy or Sky view can be helpful in finding these.) To see a meteor shower, you don’t need to look directly at the bright spot, but you will want to make sure that the bright spot is above the horizon, which usually happens around midnight or later.
You will be able to see the most meteors when the point of light is highest in the sky, but this does not necessarily have to happen to enjoy the shower.
Southern Delta Aquariids
The Southern Delta Aquariids produce about 15-20 meteors per hour. They aren’t as bright as the Perseids, but this shower is still an incredible event you won’t want to miss.
Southern Delta Aquariids in Action from July 18 to August 21. Unlike many other meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids do not have a sharp peak; in other words, the number of meteors increases steadily as the shower progresses. This means that you should be able to see some Southern Delta Aquariids during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in mid-August!
Fortunately, moonlight won’t be an issue during the first half of August. By the night of August 11-12, when the Perseids peak, the moon will shift from a waning crescent (12 percent full) to a new moon (0 percent full) to a growing crescent (35 percent full) to the last is the new moon (44 percent full). However, from early August until about August 14, the moon will set before or just after midnight local daylight hours, creating perfect viewing conditions.
