Eta Aquarids meteor shower to light up Qatar skies on May 5

Doha: Folks in the Northern Hemisphere, including those in the State of Qatar, are poised to behold the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which will peak on...

Doha: Folks in the Northern Hemisphere, including those in the State of Qatar, are poised to behold the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which will peak on the evening of Monday and continue until dawn on Tuesday, the Qatari Calendar House (QCH) reported on Sunday.

Astronomer at QCH, Dr. Bashir Marzouk, stated that this meteor shower is one of the most exceptional ones, as its peak rate can reach up to 50 meteors per hour, according to experts specializing in meteor observations, affirming that it becomes active annually from April 19 to May 28, with its peak occurring on May 5.

The famous Halley's Comet is the source of this meteor shower. Each May, as Earth orbits the Sun, it passes through dust particles left by the comet. When these particles collide with Earth's atmosphere, they create flashes visible in the sky. Overall, meteor showers occur when Earth passes near the tiny remnants and dust particles left behind by comet debris, highlighted Marzouk.

Marzouk went on to explain that monitoring this shower requires a place devoid of environmental and light pollution. Interestingly, residents of Qatar will be able to gaze at this shower without the need to use astronomical devices or telescopes.

He emphasized that folks could observe this celestial phenomenon with the naked eye starting from Monday evening until sunrise on Tuesday by gazing at the southeastern horizon of Qatar from midnight until dawn the following day.