If you’re a fan of stargazing, you’re in for an absolute treat next week, when there will be not just one, but two astronomical displays.
The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower is set to peak on Monday night, while a Super Flower Moon will take to the skies on Thursday evening.
Best of all, both astronomical events should be visible with the naked eye, meaning there’s no need to splash out on expensive equipment to get involved.
The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower is an annual meteor shower that runs from April 19 to May 28 every year.
This year, the shower will peak in the early hours of May 5, at which point there’s expected to be up to 60 meteors every hour!
NASA explained: “The Eta Aquarids are pieces of debris from Halley’s Comet, which is a well-known comet that is viewable from Earth approximately every 76 years.
“Also known as 1P/Halley, this comet was last viewable from Earth in 1986 and won’t be visible again until the middle of 2061.
“The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower gets its name because the radiant — or direction of origin — of the meteors appears to come from the constellation Aquarius.”
Meanwhile, the Super Flower Moon will appear on May 7, when the moon is located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun, meaning its face will be fully illuminated.
It’s also a super moon, as the moon will be at its closest point to Earth. This means the moon will look particularly large and bright that evening.
This particular moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Flower Moon.
NASA explained: “Going by the seasons, as the second full Moon of spring, the Native American tribes of the northeastern United States called this the Flower Moon, as flowers are abundant this time of year in most of these areas.
“Other names include the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.”
While the Super Flower Moon is officially peak at around 11:45 BST, it should be visible all evening, so make sure you look up on Thursday night!
