Be on the lookout for bright streaks in the night skies this weekend as three meteor showers are happening in our corner of the sky, with the first – the Piscis Austrinids – peaking tonight.
Those on the east coast of Australia will have the best chance of seeing the Piscis Austrinids meteor shower from around 8pm on Thursday July 28, and the showers will continue until August 10.
The new moon, also known as a dark moon, will provide ideal viewing conditions as the sky will appear darker without a bright moon.
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Find out moreThe Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids are expected to peak around 11pm on Saturday July 30. The peak should last around 48 hours.
What is a meteor shower? According to Nasa, meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the trail of dusty debris – or space rock – left by a comet. They’re usually named after a star or constellation that’s close to where the meteors appear in the sky.
Meteoritic material falls to Earth each day and almost all the material is vaporised in Earth’s atmosphere, leaving a bright trail we also call shooting stars.
Considered the most famous meteor shower, the Perseids peak in August every year, with up to 100 shooting stars visible in an hour. Save the date of August 13 for this event, though be warned the peak viewing time is likely to be at 5am.
