Eyes to the skies: Blue moon, meteor shower this week

This year’s shower might be more hard to view because the peak coincides with the glaring, almost-full, waxing gibbous moon. The meteor shower should be visible to all, but it will favor viewers in the Southern Hemisphere and the southern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

Watch a livestream of the meteor shower at the top of this post starting at 9 p.m. EDT.

U.S Naval Observatory reported that on the evening of August 12, the moon is on the verge of its new phase, meaning the sky is darker and there are more meteors to see.

A double treat for stargazers, this Friday will be the first blue moon since August 2012 and will take place during the on-going Delta Aquarid meteor shower. The Perseids are one of these four, and are also known for producing the most fireballs of any meteor shower – exceptionally bright meteors that can outshine everything else in the sky.

The best time to view the Delta Aquarids will be a few hours before dawn, after the moon sets. As for its origins, NASA says the meteor shower is the result of Earth crossing through the debris left behind by two comets – Marsden and Kracht – while others believe comet 96/P Macholtz is responsible for the meteors.

“Slooh astronomer Bob Berman and I will be exploring what meteors are, how to see them and what we can learn from this handsome celestial show”.

Despite the moon putting a bit of a damper on the meteor shower, it’s expected that from a viewing location away from cities and their light pollution, observers may be able to catch as many as a dozen meteors per hour. The American Meteor Society has several good maps to help you find the constellation in the night sky.