Meteor trails delighted skywatchers this weekend as Earth pulled through the dust trail from Halley’s Comet during an annual meteor shower.
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which is visible in the northern and southern hemispheres of the constellation Aquarius, peaked this weekend with the most ideal viewing times in the early morning hours, after 3 a.m. local time, weather permitting.
Skywatchers were expected to see up to 30 meteors per hour crossing Earth’s atmosphere in a “shooting star” display in late spring. The event is best known for fast, long-train meteors that travel at speeds of up to 40 miles per second, according to the American Meteor Society.
If you’re hoping to capture photos of future meteor showers, our guide on How to Photograph Meteor Showers can help. You can also use our Best Cameras For Astrophotography and Best Lenses For Astrophotography guides to prepare for the next meteor shower.
Related: The best meteor showers of the year
Check out these stunning Eta Aquarid meteor shower photos, taken by skywatchers who got up late (or got up very early) to catch a glimpse of the remnants of Comet Halley lighting up Earth’s skies.
BEAUTIFUL ETA AQUARID GRAZING FIREBALL #SPMN060522B TAKEN TODAY at 2h03m35s UTC from Olocau, #València by Alex Gómez & Juan Gómez. The closer the radiant is to the horizon, the longer and longer cometary bolides become. More details in our list: https://t.co/CRfB0fblVv pic.twitter.com/x1IXmv0k476. May 2022
It looked like I might have caught 1 or 2 meteors from today’s Eta Aquarid shower, this one was a nice greenish color, at 3am from the Milky Way in the background. #etaaquarid #meteorshower #swansea #nasa #bbcskyatnight #meteor #wales #stargazingwales #space #milkyway pic.twitter.com/AJbjaek02y7. May 2022
Blink or you will miss the meteor! One of many Eta Aquarid meteors we saw in the early hours of the morning. I’ve seen 4 (out of a possible 25). Super satisfied 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bd0ci3LIEV6. May 2022
Our favorite meteor story this year came from Ric Kearbey, Meteorologist at 10 Tampa Bay WTSP in Florida. Both Kearbey and his daughter Kayleigh were hoping to see a shooting star, he shared on Twitter.
“She said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to see any. I said, ‘Let’s say a quick prayer,'” Kearbey said. “We did it and boom, we saw the most amazing meteor I’ve ever seen. Huge, shiny, and lit, he stood up for 15 seconds.”
Kearbey joked, “Does anyone else need their prayers?” while posting a photo of him and Kayleigh, who is around five years old, judging by Kearbey’s previous social media posts.
Kyleigh and I checked out the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. She said, “I don’t think we’ll see any.” I told him let’s say a quick prayer. We did and boom we saw the most amazing meteor I’ve ever seen. Huge, bright and illuminated, they soar for 15 seconds. Does anyone else need his prayers? 😁 pic.twitter.com/GoEOqKdpiP6. May 2022
Instagram was also full of shower views from the southern hemisphere and countries like Japan.
Editor’s note: If you take an amazing photo of an Eta Aquarid meteor or other view of the night sky and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or image gallery, please send images, comments and information from the location to [email protected].
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and further Facebook.
