Halley’s Comet Remnants Make Reappearance
By Arnab Ghosh, Gaea News NetworkThursday, May 6, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO (GaeaTimes.com)- It was way back in 1986 that people saw Halley’s Comet passing through the solar system. However, today the star gazers can see the remnants of the comet trail in the sky courtesy the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. The much anticipated meteor shower is said to peak around Thursday morning. If the sky remains cloudless and relatively clear the star gazers can expect to see around 40 such meteors per hour. This shower is normally seen in the nocturnal sky before or after May 6. The orbit of the famous Halley’s Comet comes very close to the Earth in a couple of spots. The comet is now far away in the solar system past Uranus.
However, some interested star grazers who want to see the meteor shower containing the remnants of Halley’s comet may be disappointed. The sky is not likely to be moonless today or tomorrow. Those who live in the southern hemisphere stand a better chance of witnessing the meteor shower compared to those who live in Northern Hemisphere. A lot of sky watchers will aim to capture the shower on their camera but it will not be an easy task for them. The best time to view this meteor shower is from 2 a.m to 4 a.m. Even in October the remnants of the comet can be seen in another meteor shower named the Orionids.
To view the Eta Aquariid meteor shower this year the viewers are advised to lie down and look towards the Eastern horizon. However, the shower can appear in any direction in the sky.
