Two meteor showers peak on the night of July 29th-30th, with the moon getting in the way in time for around 25 shooting stars per hour, even as it can be seen in the dark sky.
The highlight is the strong South Delta Aquarido of the two showers, with a predicted rate of 20 meteors per hour at the peak of the shower. Active from July 18th to August 12th, South Delta Aquarido is known for its faint, prolonged trails.
However, the peaks of the South Delta Aquarid are broad. According to the American Meteor Society, meteor showers produce good weekly rates, mainly peak nights, so they are worth watching from July 24th to July 31st.
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As the name suggests, the Southern Delta Aquarido is most commonly found in the Southern Hemisphere. This is because the meteors appear to come from Aquarius, a low constellation on the southern horizon, seen from the Northern Hemisphere. Astronomers call this the sparkling point. Observers will likely see the meteor most, as the aquarius rises southward at July thrust time and is the highest in the sky.
A “shooting star” occurs when a meteor from an asteroid or comet is left in the Earth’s orbital path. When they hit the Earth’s atmosphere and burn out, they are called meteors. Discovered in 1986, it takes 5.3 years to orbit the Sun, a 3.7-mile (6-kilometer) comet called 96p/Machholz, is responsible for the Southern Delta Aquarido.
Related: How to take photos of meteor showers
The second meteor shower, which peaks overnight from July 29th to 30th, is the Alpha Capriconid, with an additional 5-10 meteors per hour. The radiation point of the shower, which is active from July 7th to August 15th, is Capricornus, which is lined up with the Aquarius in the night sky. This makes it difficult for the two meteor showers to separate, but the alpha capriconids tend to be particularly bright, slowly and colorful. They were discovered in 2002 and are the result of a 2-mile (3.2 km) comet that took 4.2 years to orbit the Sun.
While observers in the Southern Hemisphere enjoy the best viewing conditions, from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, you can generally see the South at the outstretch time of July 30th, making it the most likely to succeed.
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