Overview
Winter might be all about staying in doors, rugging up and avoiding the frosty weather, but if you want to see a pair of meteor showers at their peak this week, you'll want to head outdoors. Not one but two celestial events will be visible in Australia's skies to end July 2024: the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids.
Arriving in the thick of winter, the Southern Delta Aquariids may not be quite as famous or frenetic as other meteor showers, but it's still considered a strong one, with around 15–25 meteors hurtling across the heavens per hour during its peak. In good news for those Down Under, it's also typically best seen in the Southern Hemisphere.
Mike Lewinski via Flickr.
Caused by the breakup of the Machholz comet, the Southern Delta Aquariids is visible each year from around July 12–August 23 — so now. But the ideal time to catch it is between July 28–July 30, aka until Tuesday this week. And, like many astronomical shows, catching an eyeful around midnight is recommended — when the moon has set and its light will not interfere.
Also soaring through the skies at the moment: the Alpha Capricornids, which tends to run from around July 7–August 15. Yes, that means that you can peer up at night and catch a glimpse now, too, but it tends to peak around July 30–31 — so Tuesday and Wednesday this week. This one comes from the comet 169P/NEAT, and was discovered in 1871. It's known for its bright meteors and even fireballs, although they're infrequent, at around two-to-nine per hour.
For your best chances of getting a glimpse at both, the usual advice applies. Get as far away from bright lights as possible — this could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds.
The Delta Aquariids' name comes from Aquarius, the constellation from which they appear to come. Accordingly, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. For the Alpha Capricornids, you're looking for the Capricornus constellation.
To locate them all, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky, and is also a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night.
The Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids meteor showers will peak between Tuesday, July 30–Sunday, July 31, 2024.
Top image: Mike Lewinski via Flickr.