Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

The first meteor shower of the summer season is expected to reach a climax in the wee hours of May 6!

According to the Taipei Astronomical Museum (TAM), the Eta Aquariads can comprise as much as 40 meteors per hour during its peak. However, due to the position of its radiant (which only becomes visible in the sky after 2 AM) and the bright moonlight during this time, the number of meteor visible to observers becomes significantly fewer.

However, stargazers can still observe the amazing show during the period between moonset and sunrise. At this time, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter also make their appearance in the night sky, in addition to the occasional meteor cutting across the sea of stars.

The Eta Aquariads originate from the Halley’s Comet debris and bits. The meteor shower takes place between April 19 and May 28 every year. The characteristics of the Eta Aquariads include fast and bright meteors.

To make observation of the meteor shower more convenient for the public, TAM has set up high resolution cameras at Fushoushan Farm and Yangmingshan’s Lengshuikeng. For more information, please visit the Chinese website of TAM.