Twin Meteor Showers Are Expected to Peak at the Same Time This Week
Looking for some stellar entertainment this week? Well, you're in luck. Two separate meteor showers–the Southern delta Aquariids and the alpha Capricornids—are expected to peak on the evening of July 28th into early Thursday morning. This celestial show is especially rare, given that meteor showers during the summer are relatively uncommon, let alone two.
According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the Southern delta Aquariids have been visible since July 12th and will persist through August 23rd. The alpha Capricornids began on July 3rd and will end on August 15th, though both are expected to peak at the same time this week, so be sure to set your alarm to get outside and watch!
The Griffith Observatory reports that the Southern delta Aquariids is the stronger of the two showers. Though it's meant to produce an average of 12 faint meteors each hour, bright moonlight, which is expected, could affect visibility. The alpha Capricornids, on the other hand, is only expected to produce an average of five, strong bright shooting stars each hour. The AMS says of the alpha Capricornids, "This shower is not very strong and rarely produces in excess of five shower members per hour. What is notable about this shower is the number of bright fireballs produced during its activity period."
And as if this dueling cosmic show wasn't enough, the Perseid meteor shower—known as one of the "best meteor showers of the year," according to NASA—is also active. They began on July 17tth and will peak just weeks later on August 11th.
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