Mark your calendar for Tomorrow (July 30 2024).
The first meteor shower of the summer is predicted to peak in the early hours of Tuesday morning, giving stargazers the opportunity to see dozens of shooting stars sweep across the night sky every hour.
Astronomers have questioned the origins of the Delta Aquariids meteor shower, with the sungrazing comet 96P/Machholz being the most likely culprit. This four-mile-wide ball of dust, rock, and ice takes slightly more than five years to complete its orbit around the sun.
What you actually see during a meteor shower?
What we see as a “shooting star” is actually a dazzling streak of glowing hot air formed when the meteoroid travels quickly through the atmosphere. Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through a swarm of meteoroids.
What is the next biggest meteor shower?
The next meteor shower will be the Perseid meteor shower, occurring from mid-July to late August, with its peak around August 13, 2024. This year promises to be excellent for meteor watching.
As Earth’s orbit meets the orbits of two comets, meteor showers from these occurrences are projected to peak simultaneously from July 29 to July 31. The abundant Perseid meteor shower may possibly coincide with these two events.
These two other meteor showers started earlier in July. The Southern Delta Aquariids, triggered by the 96P/Machholz comet, began on July 18; the 169P/NEAT Alpha Capricornids began on July 7. Meteor showers normally increase in intensity until they reach their peak, after which they gradually diminish.
Hostinger
The peak periods have the most meteor activity and are the best times to observe a meteor shower. The Southern Delta Aquariids will reach their peak on July 29 and 30, while the Alpha Capricornids will do the same on July 30 and 31. So, July 30 is the best day to see both showers peak simultaneously.