Meteors result from particles of dust causing the atmosphere to glow as the particles enter the upper atmosphere of the Earth.  The Eta Aquarid meteors are associated with Comet Halley.  This comet, undoubtedly the most famous comet of them all, has been observed at least since 240 BC.  But it wasn’t until 1705 that Edmund Halley realized that a number of bright comets that had appeared every 76 years throughout history were actually a single comet returning periodically as it orbits the Sun.  As Halley’s Comet revolves around the Sun, it gives off gases and dust particles due to the heat of the Sun.  While the gases eventually are dispersed throughout space, the dust particles remain as a trail of debris in the path of the comet long after the comet has gone on to the cold outer regions of the Solar System.  Since the Earth encounters this trail of debris at the same point in space each time it makes its annual revolution around the Sun, we observe the Eta Aquarids around the same date each year, May 5.  In fact, it turns out that the Earth also runs into the orbit of Comet Halley on the other side of its orbit; this produces the Orionid meteor shower around October 21. 

In 2009 the Eta Aquarids are predicted to reach a peak of about sixty meteors per hour at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 5.  Of course, the meteors are not visible until after dark and then for just a couple of hours before dawn.  Unfortunately, this shower is very low in the sky and is not easily observed from our area.  The radiant, the point in Aquarius the water bearer, from which the meteors appear to come, does not rise until about 3 a.m.  As with all meteor showers, the Eta Aquarids are best observed from a clear, dark location with a good horizon.  This year we will have a waxing gibbous moon in the sky which will interfere with observations of fainter meteors until moonset about 4:45 a.m.  Twilight begins shortly after 6 a.m...  Binoculars or telescopes are not needed to observe meteors. 

About PARI
PARI is a not-for-profit foundation established in 1998.  Located in the Pisgah Forest southwest of Asheville, NC, PARI offers educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate research.  The institute is affiliated with the 16-campus University of North Carolina system through PARSEC, a UNC Center hosted at PARI, and is a member of the NC Grassroots Museum Collaborative.  For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu.