Skywatchers may anticipate two meteor showers this weekend as July draws to a close, one of which will peak Friday night.
The American Meteor Society predicts that the peak of the Delta Aquariids meteor shower will occur on Friday night into Saturday morning, while the peak of the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower will occur on Saturday and Sunday.
According to AMS, the southern tropics are the ideal location to view the Delta Aquariids. The radiant, or apparent beginning point of the meteor route, is lower in the southern sky when watching the meteor from north of the equator.
According to AMS, the second meteor shower, the Alpha Capricornids, is not particularly powerful. On the other hand, it is equally visible on both sides of the equator. The moon will be 5 percent full at its highest point.
Meteor showers are brought on by parallel-moving streams of cosmic debris known as meteoroids that reach the Earth’s atmosphere at very high speeds. The Perseids, the most well-known meteor shower, will peak between August 11 and 12, according to AMS.
Don’t worry if you miss the Delta Aquariids shower; there will be more to come. Following is a complete list of meteor showers predicted for 2022:
Aug. 12: Perseids
Oct. 21: Orionids
Nov. 5: Southern Taurids
Nov. 12: Northern Taurids
Nov. 17: Leonids
Dec. 14: Geminids
Dec. 22: Ursids