Eta Aquarid meteor shower to peak May 6: Taipei Astronomical Museum

Taipei, May 1 (CNA) The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, one of the biggest celestial events of the spring, will peak on May 6 with a maximum rate of 50 shooting stars per hour, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said Wednesday.

Observation conditions will be optimal due to minimal light interference from a waning gibbous moon, the museum said in a press release.

As many as 50 Eta Aquarids per hour could flash through the radiant in the northern sky, with the frequency increasing the closer it gets to dawn, the museum said.

The radiant is the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate.

Although people will be able to see the phenomenon with the naked eye, the museum will set up video cameras on high mountains to provide a streaming service on YouTube starting at 10 p.m. that day, it said.

The Eta Aquarids, known for their brightness and speed, occur annually when Earth encounters dusty debris left by Halley's Comet. The debris burns up in Earth's atmosphere, creating the meteor shower.

Other cosmic wonders this month include a brighter-than-usual mercury on May 10, when the planet reaches its greatest elongation -- as far as it ever gets from the sun as seen from Earth.

Mercury, which is often difficult to spot because it is closest to the sun, will be positioned apart from the star by 26 degrees, making it easy to spot with the naked eye right before sunrise, the museum said.