Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower peaking this weekend; see up to 20 meteors per hour

The Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower is active right now and this year, it will be peaking on the night of July 28. A favorable new moon will help darken the skies for this light show and you will get to see around 20 meteors per hour.

This meteor shower gets its name because the radiant appears to originate near Delta Aquarii, one of the brightest stars in the constellation Aquarius. Look halfway between the horizon and the zenith, and 45 degrees from the constellation of Aquarius to view the Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower.

The Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower is active beginning in mid-July and is visible until late August each year. The shower originates from 96P/Machholz, a short-period comet that orbits the Sun about once every six years. The comet was discovered by Donald Machholz in 1986.

Meanwhile, the Perseid meteor shower is also lighting up the night skies and is set to peak during mid-August (Aug. 11-13). It is one of the biggest meteor showers of the year, with approx. 50-100 meteors seen per hour. Perseids can be seen all over the sky, but meteors from this shower are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours. More information about the Perseid meteor shower is available here.