Stargazers, rejoice!
While it isn't expected to be the celestial spectacle of the season, Metro Vancouverites will be privy to a dazzling twin meteor shower on Wednesday (July 28) night.
The Southern Delta Aquarids are most plentifully seen from the Southern Hemisphere, but they may still be observed from mid-northern latitudes, too. The shower started around July 12 and is set to peak Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
Active from July 3 through August 15, the Alpha Capracornids will also peak around the same time as the Aquarids. While the light of the moon may obscure some of the show, this shower produces a "number of bright fireballs" that could "light up the entire sky for a few fleeting seconds," according to Accumweather.com.
The Capracornids shower is also observed "equally well on either side of the equator," explains the American Meteor Society.
Viewing the star-studded spectacle from Vancouver
Marley Leacock, an astronomer at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, tells Vancouver Is Awesome that both showers will be visible, albeit they may be "tricky to spot due to the moon."
The radiant — where the meteors appear to be coming from — of both showers are close to each other in the sky.
"Look toward the south-southeastern sky after sunset and before dawn," she says. "You'll see two bright, star-looking points of light. Those are Jupiter and Saturn.
"If you are able to find those, you're looking at the right spot."
With this in mind, however, Leacock adds that meteors can appear and go in any direction.
Sky-watchers should opt to travel as far away from city lights as possible in order to avoid light pollution that will obscure the clarity of heavenly bodies. While this works best in more remote places, anywhere that has a higher elevation will also provide more ideal viewing conditions.
