A pair of bright meteors flying through the sky will be seen in the night sky this week in the US. The two meteor showers- Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids will be at their peak on Wednesday, July 28th into the morning of Thursday, July 29th, said Accuweather.
These meteor showers are likely to bright up the sky for a brief period of few seconds.
Also Read: Perseids meteor shower: All you need to know about the ‘Best Meteor Shower of the year’
According to NASA, as Earth orbits the sun, it encounters the lopsided orbit of a comet, the icy surface of which leaves behind dust and rocks as they boil off from the sun’s heat.
“What we see is a ‘shooting star.’ That bright streak is not actually the rock, but rather the glowing hot air as the hot rock zips through the atmosphere. When Earth encounters many meteors at once, we call it a meteor shower,” explained NASA.
About the bright showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids will produce 12 faint meteors per hour on average. The best time to watch it will be visible an hour or two before dawn.
Also Read: Scientists unearth meteorite from the birth of the solar system
The Alpha Capricornids, on the other hand, will produce about five strong and bright showers each hour. You can catch the glimpse of these bright fireballs but with some safety precautions in mind.
Here are some viewing tips from NASA.
1- Get as far away from light pollution as possible. If you can, go to a – dark area with a clear, unclouded view of the night sky.
2- Make your eyes prone to dark for 30 minutes before watching the shower or you will expose yourself tonight visibility issues
3- Don’t use a telescope or binoculars.
4- Avoid looking at your mobile phone or any other light. Both destroy night vision.