Stargazers across Australia will be treated to remarkable displays over the next few days, as elements of rock and ice from Halley’s Comet burn up in the earth’s atmosphere.
The new moon will provide inky black skies and the perfect backdrop to view the annual Eta Aquariid meteor shower.
Astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr Brad Tucker from the Australian National University told SBS News “over the next few days, we will get one of the best meteor showers in the southern hemisphere this year”.
The best time to watch the spectacle will be about 3am or 4am (AEST) on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
People do not need special equipment to watch a meteor shower, but Dr Tucker said the key is to finding a dark location from which to view the shower.
“You want to wake up a bit early, go outside, your eyes will take time to adjust and once they do, you should see upwards of 15 to 20 meteors or shooting stars per hour.”
Dr Tucker said the darker the location, the better the view will be.
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