ENID, OK - See up to 50 'shooting stars' per hour as the Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks Saturday and Sunday (May 4 and 5). The annual shower is linked to debris from Halley's comet. The Eta Aquarids are active from April 15 to May 27.
"Shooting stars" are caused by meteoroids. As these tiny particles strike Earth's atmosphere, they heat up and vaporize, releasing energy visible as streaks of light in the night sky.
Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" that last several seconds to minutes, according to NASA. The Eta Aquarid meteors appear to emanate from the constellation Aquarius, which is where they got their name. This constellation is higher in the sky in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere, so "Earthgrazers" — meteors that skim the horizon — are likely to be seen north of the equator.
The visibility of shooting stars depends a lot on the moon's phases. Luckily, a waning crescent moon will rise just before sunrise on May 5, meaning no strong moonlight will interfere with the peak of the Eta Aquarids this year.
