Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower: 'Up All Night' With NASA! Editors
Note:Due to the recent tornadoes in Alabama, the Marshall Space
Flight Center is without power. As a result, this chat has been
canceled. Would you like to see a piece of Halley's Comet? Now's
your chance! Each spring as Earth passes through the debris
trail from Halley's Comet (1P/Halley), the cosmic bits burn up
in our atmosphere and result in the annual Eta Aquarid meteor
shower. In 2011 the peak will occur on the night of May 5 and
into the morning of May 6. A dark new moon on May 3 will help
darken the night skies for a good viewing experience, with
meteor rates of about 40-60 meteors per hour under ideal
conditions. Ideal viewing conditions are a dark, clear sky away
from city lights, especially just before dawn. On May 5, you can
join NASA experts for a live Web chat to observe this year's Eta
Aquarid meteor shower. Make plans to stay "up all night" with
NASA experts from 11 p.m. EDT (May 5) until 5 a.m. EDT (May 6).
For this overnight Web ch