The eta-Aquarida meteor shower will peak on the night of May 5

The starfall of eta-Aquarids (May Aquarids) will reach its maximum activity on the night of May 5. Scientists predict up to 40 meteors per hour. This was reported to TASS on Wednesday in the press service of the Moscow Planetarium.

"The meteors of the May Aquariids are fast and bright, leaving long trails, like those of the October Orionids. The speed of meteors is quite high - almost 67 km/sec. <...> According to the forecasts of the International Meteor Organization, up to 40 meteors per hour are expected," the representatives of the planetarium said.

The stream is valid from April 19 to May 28. The meteor departure area is located in the constellation Aquarius, which determines the name of the starfall. Its source is a dust trail left over from Halley's famous comet. The Earth passes through it twice a year, as a result of which the inhabitants of the planet observe two starfall - spring eta-Aquariids and autumn Orionids.

"The conditions for observing [the peak activity of the May Aquariums stream] <...> in 2022 with clear weather are favorable," the planetarium's press service clarified.