The Eta Aquarid meteor shower of 2021 peaks this week. Here's how to see it.

[Admin]

Early Thursday morning (May 6), just before dawn begins to light up the eastern sky, we'll have an opportunity to see some of the remnants of the most famous of comets briefly light up the early morning sky.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower of 2021 peaks this week. Here's how to see it. : Read more

 

[ThePatriotBeast]

Oooooh, nice! Thank you!

 

[sam85geo]

In NY, May 6th is supposed to be clear sky; however, whenever I rise early for the forecasted "show" it clouds over. It would seem that despite the low probably of seeing any shooting stars, Mother Nature hates me.

 

[ThePatriotBeast]

That is extremely sad. You might have to find another way to watch.

 

[rod]

Tomorrow morning looks like better weather for my location. The radiant rises near 0242 EDT and Jupiter and Saturn will be up too. Waning crescent Moon in Aquarius but likely not much of a problem. Looks like at my location, good times to view perhaps 0300-0530 EDT, before sunrise near 0604 EDT. Skies permitting (and it looks to be clear for me), I plan to enjoy some Eta Aquarids along with telescope views of Jupiter and Saturn. Starry Night report indicate Eta Aquarid meteors streak by near 66 km/s.

 

[rod]

I was able to enjoy some Eta Aquarid meteors this morning. Note from my stargazing log.

[Observed 0330-0515 EDT/0730-0915 UT. Waning crescent Moon rise 0359/0759 UT. New Moon 11-May-2021 at 1900 UT. Sunrise 0604 EDT/1004 UT. I observed two bright Aquarids this morning. One as bright as Altair zipping westward and another as bright as Vega, zipping south near Saturn position in the sky. Quite a sight here. At least 6 or more faint streaks this morning visible too, perhaps 3rd-5th magnitude streaks. One equatorial orbiting satellite passed by moving through Cygnus (about 2nd magnitude). The satellite speed about 8 km/s, the meteors about 66 km/s according to Starry Night and Stellarium 0.21.0. A great difference in movement across the sky here! The satellite was slow I also enjoyed views of Saturn using 14-mm eyepiece at 71x and Jupiter too. Titan and Rhea visible at Saturn. Saturn's sky position was lovely with a variety of stars all around in the FOV. Jupiter, 3 Galilean moons visible and with some cloud bands. I did briefly view the waning crescent Moon rising through some trees using the telescope too. NW quadrant visible with craters along terminator line and Sinus Irdium. Overall, a great early spring morning viewing some of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, waning crescent Moon rising, Jupiter, and Saturn with my 90-mm refractor telescope. Cool temperature 08C with NW winds 320/12 knots. Earlier in the morning before moonrise, I could see some of the Milky Way running through Cygnus and the Summer triangle, Deneb, Vega, and Altair. Delphinus distinct with some 5.4 and 5.6 apparent magnitude stars visible, Eta Delphini, Theta Delphini, and Iota Delphini stars.]