(NEXSTAR) – July is once again exiting in style, treating stargazers to a meteor shower double-feature this week.
The Southern Delta Aquariid and the Alpha Capricornid meteor showers will peak at the same time, in the early morning hours Wednesday.
While perhaps not as stunning as the Perseids, which light up the sky in mid-August, often leaving long, sometimes-colorful “wakes,” conditions will be good this week. The moon is waxing and only about a quarter full, so the meteors should appear bright, especially for stargazers outside of urban areas with lots of light pollution.
With each shower expected to produce up to a dozen visible meteors per hour under dark skies, the doubleheader means the total number of meteors “do add up,” said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Look for flashes of light in the night sky,” he said, adding that both are “very nice classic meteor showers.”
The Alpha Capricornids — produced by slower-moving meteors — may have tails that linger slightly longer in the sky, said Nick Moskovitz of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Viewing of each shower lasts through August 12.
What is a meteor shower?
Meteor showers, or events during which meteors can be seen radiating from a particular point in the sky, are often annual, predictable occurrences, according to the American Meteor Society (AMA).
The showers themselves are usually named after the constellation in which they appear to come from.
“The showers occur when the Earth passes through a region having a greater than usual concentration of interplanetary debris, such as particles left by a disintegrating comet, at certain points in its orbit,” the AMA states on its website. “Although the meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere on parallel trajectories, perspective makes it appear as if they originate from the same point in the sky, known as the radiant.”
How to observe a meteor shower
Want to see a meteor shower? Do everything you can to minimize light interference.
Heading out of the city and away from street and other city lights is a good start. You may also want to pack some coffee and head out early – predawn hours when the moon is low are a great time to view meteors.
Let your eyes adjust to the darkness and keep looking up – resist the temptation to look down at your phone’s bright screen.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
