This Week’s Night Sky: Watch Meteors From Halley’s Comet
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower should bring up to 30 shooting stars an hour, products of the famous comet that last visited Earth in 1986.
For the best views, head outside late at night, when you should be under a moonless sky. Astronomers are expecting up to 30 meteors an hour to be visible streaking through the northeast skies starting around 10 p.m. local time.
The best views will be from the countryside, away from city light pollution. But you can probably catch a few of the brighter meteors, including a couple of fireballs, sweeping through the upper atmosphere even from a suburban backyard.
This meteor shower’s claim to fame is that the shooting stars are leftover pieces of Halley’s comet, which last swung past Earth in 1986. The famous comet won't be back until 2062, but we can still see sand-grain-size particles shed by this icy
