Moose Jaw residents may be able to catch part of a meteor shower this week, but expectations should be realistic.
Limited visibility in North America
Astronomer Abigail Sadowski said the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is expected to peak in the pre-dawn hours of May 6.
“This will be challenging to view in North America, with far better visibility in southern latitudes,” she said.
The meteor shower comes from debris linked to Halley’s Comet. Sadowski said the moon will still be fairly bright following the May 1 full moon, which could wash out many meteors.
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Lower viewing rates expected
She said the shower’s zenith hourly rate is about 50 meteors per hour, but that reflects ideal viewing conditions.
“We’re not in an ideal viewing location, we have a bright moon, and we’ll likely be seeing much less here,” she said.
For Moose Jaw, Sadowski estimated viewers may see around 10 meteors per hour, appearing low on the horizon.
“There is a chance, but it won’t be super spectacular, and you won’t see them all overhead,” she said.
Best viewing window
The best time to look will be between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on May 6, toward the eastern horizon as Aquarius rises.
Sadowski said the name of a meteor shower refers to the constellation the meteors appear to come from, though they can be visible elsewhere in the sky.
“Scan the low horizon and you may be able to catch a few,” she said.