Incredible Meteor Shower Brightening New York Skies This Week

Look up at the night sky or you'll miss an incredible meteor shower that emits up to 50 luminous shooting stars per hour.

It's time again to sit back and enjoy the intricate beauty of outer space. The peak of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is here, which delights people across the globe with its over abundance of shooting stars and glistening trains of light.

Live Science reports that while this meteor shower earned its moniker because its shooting stars appear to come form the constellation Aquarius, it is actually linked to the debris from Halley's comet.

The comet last came into view in 1986 and, unfortunately, we won't be able to see it again until 2061. The comet has completed its move away from the earth back in December and is now heading our way once more.

So think of this meteor shower as its annual teaser that a bigger and brighter display is on its way.

On a typical night, this particular shower emits between 10 to 30 shooting stars an hour and, this year, they are active from April 15 to May 27. The peak was this weekend, but we'll still get to enjoy the highest frequency of shooting stars.

These fast-moving Eta Aquarid meteors are not only incredibly difficult to miss, they also illuminate the sky in a unique way. They stand out because they leave behind glittering tails, or "trains" that can last minutes.

This year has produced more of these shooting stars thanks to some gravitational influence from Jupiter.

The likelihood of us being able to see this shower is increased tenfold due to the phase of the moon. The brighter it is, the harder it is to see the show.  But a waning crescent moon rose on May 5, meaning tonight is a new moon - which is optimal for observation.

A clear sky will obviously be needed for us to actually enjoy the meteor shower and, currently, the National Weather Service says the Utica area will get mostly cloudy skies starting on Wednesday, so tonight is your best chance to catch a glimpse of the celestial event.

Live Science recommends enjoying the shooting star spectacular with your own two eyes - no binoculars or telescopes required.

They wrote, "You'll want to let your eyes take in the whole sky to search for shooting stars."

Should you miss this meteor shower, don't fret.  The American Meteor Society says that we'll get a special treat come July - two major meteor showers will pop off at the same time!

The Southern delta Aquariids and the alpha Capricornids are slated to both peak at the same time, between July 29 and July 31. The moon will also be a sliver in the night sky by then, being between 30 to 20% full.

After that, the glorious Perseids will activate in the sky starting July 14th and peak on August 11th and 12th, when the moon is 44% full.

And, if that isn't exciting enough, this year is the best opportunity to finally see the Northern Lights.

Read More: 2024 Will Be The Greatest Year for Northern Lights in New York

In all, it seems this year is looking pretty good for outer space lovers and stargazers.

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