If you look up for long enough at a dark, clear sky, you may catch some "shooting stars" tonight without any bright moonlight to obstruct the view.

Qatar Calendar House (QCH) has announced that skywatchers can view the Eta Auarid meteor shower with their naked eyes without any astronomical instruments from places without light and environmental pollution between Wednesday evening (May 5, 2021) until the dawn of Thursday (May 6, 2021).

دار التقويم القطري تعلن أن سكان النصف الشمالي من الكرة الأرضية بمن فيهم سكان دولة قطر سيكونون على موعد مع رؤية ورصد زخة شهب /إيتا الدلويات/ لهذا العام، حيث ستصل ذروتها مساء غد الأربعاء 23 من شهر رمضان 1442هـ، الموافق 5 من مايو، حتى بزوغ فجر يوم /الخميس/ 6 من مايو. #قنا

— وكالة الأنباء القطرية (@QatarNewsAgency) May 4, 2021

Dr. Beshir Marzouk, the QCH astronomy expert said, “The Eta meteor shower is one of the distinctive meteor showers, because its rate of fall in the sky at its peak reaches 50 meteors per hour, according to the estimation of astronomers specializing in observing meteors, and it is active annually during the period extending from April 19 to May 28 of each year, but it reaches its climax between the fifth and sixth of May of each year."

He also said that the famous Halley's Comet is the source of the occurrence of the Eta meteor shower when the earth moves in its orbit around the sun and passes near the dust grains left by the comet during the month of May of each year, and those grains intersect with the earth's atmosphere, and a flash occurs. 

It is seen in the earth's sky with the knowledge that the phenomenon of meteors, in general, occurs as a result of the earth’s passage near fine debris and dust grains left by comet particles.

Anyone who wishes to photograph it can do so by using digital cameras. They can increase the exposure time in order to get the best results.

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Source: QNA, Al Raya

Cover Image: for illustrative purposes only.