Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids meteor showers will peak this week
Stargazers are expected to see multiple meteor showers this week, including the Alpha Capricornids and the Southern Delta Aquariids, which peak on Thursday. Astronomers suggest the best viewing times occur late at night and early in the morning.
Why it matters
These celestial events provide significant public interest in astronomy and science education.
Stargazers could be treated to multiple displays of meteor showers during the final days of July.
Both the Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids are forecast to peak on Thursday, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS).
The Alpha Capricornids, known to produce three meteors per hour and occasionally bright fireballs, began on July 7 and will run through Aug. 13.
The meteors appear slow-moving and some seem brighter than any of the surrounding stars, AMS noted.
They radiate -- or appear to originate from -- near the area of Alpha Capricorni, a double star visible to the naked eye, during late July. This area of the sky rises in the east at about 8 p.m. Local Daylight Time, but very little activity can be seen at this time because many of the meteors are blocked by the horizon.
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