Double meteor shower may produce fireballs next week

As stargazers shift their attention away from Comet NEOWISE, they will have a lot to look forward to next week when two meteor showers will peak at the same time.

The Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower will coincide on the evening of Tuesday, July 28 through Wednesday into the early morning. Viewers can expect the combined shower to produce about 20 to 25 meteors an hour.

The Delta Aquarids meteor shower persists through mid-August and typically consists of long glowing trails due to the angle they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The Alpha Capricornids typically peak in late July and are characterized by bright fireballs, but occur around five per hour or less.

Those in larger cities like Atlanta, Boston and Philadelphia, will need to find areas away from light pollution to see the showers, but most can expect to see the show after midnight local time.

It’s best to use your own eye, rather than binoculars or telescopes, to view the shower. You should also give yourself about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Cox Media Group