The Alpha Capricornid, Southern Delta Aquariid, and Perseid meteor showers have already begun, but like all meteor showers, they have been building up slowly. Now, their peaks are just around the corner.
The Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids will peak at around the same time, tomorrow, July 31, while the Perseids will peak in mid-August.
Here's everything you need to know to see July's stunning double meteor shower, plus what's set to be the best meteor shower of the year: the upcoming Perseids.
How to see meteorites
Light pollution, including moonlight, can wash out the light from meteors, so meteor showers are best viewed in a dark, moonless sky, in a location away from streetlights or other light sources.
No special equipment is needed to observe a meteor shower. In fact, observing them with the naked eye is by far the best method, as meteors pass through the atmosphere too quickly to be detected with binoculars or other observing equipment. Meteors can also appear anywhere in a wide swath of the sky at random, so a wide field of view is needed to find them.
The Alpha Capricornids
When to look
The Alpha Capricornids will be active from July 3 to August 15 and will be at their brightest during the night of July 30 and morning of July 31. That night, the Moon will be a waning crescent moon, about 18 percent illuminated, when it rises around 2 a.m. local daylight time. Although this meteor shower will only produce a peak zenith rate of about 5 meteors per hour, the Alpha Capricornids are known to occasionally produce bright, slow-moving fireballs.
Parent object
Meteor showers occur when the debris trail left by comets passing around the Sun intersects Earth's orbit and burns up in our atmosphere. The comet that produced the debris is known as the parent object of the meteor shower.
The Alpha Capricornids originate from the debris left behind by comet 169P/NEAT, which orbits the Sun every 4.2 years.
The radiant one
The radiant of a meteor shower is the point from which the meteors appear to radiate in the sky. Showers are named for the position of their radiant. The Alpha Capricornids radiate from a point at the northwestern edge of Capricornus. The constellation will be visible for most of the night from mid-latitudes, although it only reaches about 30° in altitude at its highest point. More northern latitudes will have less visibility than more southern ones.
For smaller meteor showers like the Alpha Capricornids, it can be beneficial to focus your gaze closer to the radiant in order to see the most meteors, although it is not necessary to focus strictly there, as meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. This is especially true for larger meteor showers like the Perseids. However, it is a good idea to make sure the radiant is above the horizon in order to see the most meteors.
Also, because meteors originate from the radiant, the longest trails or streaks in the sky are usually located a few tens of degrees away from the radiant, on either side.
The Southern Delta Aquariids
When to look
The Southern Delta Aquariids are active from July 12 to August 23. Unlike some meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids do not have a sharp peak, but rather the number of meteors increases gradually as the shower progresses. At their peak on the 31st, the Southern Delta Aquariids produce about 25 meteors per hour when the radiant is overhead.
Because moonlight will interfere with viewing conditions as the shower wanes in mid- to late August, the best time to observe will be the last few nights of July, when the shower officially peaks, and through the first week of August, when moonlight will be negligible and the Moon will set before midnight.
The nights of July 30 and 31 will be ideal for viewing this meteor shower, as moonlight won't be a problem at first. There will be no moon on the night of July 30, as the Moon won't rise until 2:00 a.m. local time on the 31st, as will the night of the 31st, when a thin crescent Moon (10 percent illuminated) won't rise until about 2:45 a.m. local time on August 1.
Keep in mind, though, that the best time to see a meteor shower is early in the morning, when the Earth rotates into the meteor stream. Fortunately, on July 31 and August 1, the waning Moon shouldn't interfere too much, even after it rises.
Radiant
The Southern Delta Aquariids radiant is located in southern Aquarius. It rises after Capricorn in the evening and reaches its highest point in the sky around 2:30 a.m. local time.
Parent object
The Southern Delta Aquariids are remnants left behind by comet 96P/Machholz, which was discovered in 1986 by Donald MachholzThis comet orbits the Sun once every 5.3 years.
The Perseids
When to look
This year, the Perseids will be active from July 17 to August 24, peaking early in the morning on August 12. The Perseids have a pronounced peak, so be sure not to miss them during the night of August 11-12 if you want to have the best viewing experience.
This is by far the largest meteor shower of the summer, with a peak zenith hourly rate of about 100 meteors per hour. The only other meteor showers of comparable size—the Geminids and Quadrantids—occur in December and January. Plus, this year's Geminids will be eclipsed by a nearly full Moon, making the Perseids the best and most enjoyable meteor shower of the year.
Better yet: Although the Moon will be crescent and 45 percent illuminated on August 11, it will set before midnight, so you don't have to worry about moonlight interfering with your sky-viewing experience during the ideal viewing time, in the early morning hours.
Radiant
The Perseid radiant is located northwest of Perseus. If your latitude is around 40° north or higher in the Northern Hemisphere, the radiant does not set, so it should remain visible all night. Keep in mind, though, that you'll have to wait for that radiant to reach its highest point in the sky to see the most meteors; this is around dawn, although it's possible to see meteors as early as 10 p.m.
You won't necessarily need to find the radiant to enjoy the Perseids, however, as they will be visible across the entire sky.
Parent object
The Perseids originated from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle. The comet orbits the Sun once every 133 years.
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