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the radiant point of the Eta Aquarid shower. For more on the Eta Aquarid radiant and why more Eta Aquarids are visible from the southern skies, click here.
• In a dark sky, especially at more southerly latitudes, the Eta Aquarids can produce up to 20 to 40 meteors per hour. Moreover, 2013 is a fairly good year, as the moonlight from the waning crescent moon shouldn't too greatly intrude on this annual predawn meteor shower. Meteor buffs will be on the lookout, knowing these swift-moving meteors frequently leave persistent trains.
• This meteor shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, and the tropical and subtropical latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Appreciably north of 40 degrees north latitude (the latitude of Denver, Colorado), streaking meteors remain few and far between. The early morning twilight at far northern latitudes washes these Eta Aquarid meteors from the sky. At this time of the year, morning twilight comes at a later hour to southerly latitudes.
• Once again, the best viewing time is roughly from about two hours to one hour before sunrise. Unsure of your sunrise time? Or when nautical twilight begins? Check our almamac page. No matter where you live, the last hour of darkness just before dawn tends to feature the greatest number of meteors.
• While you're out watching the Eta Aquarids streaking the night, check out the waning crescent moon in your eastern sky at or near dawn. The terminator - shadow line on the moon - shows you where it's sunset on the waning moon.
• Data gathered by the International Meteor Organization seems to suggest a possible connection between Jupiter's 12-year orbit and the intensity of the Eta Aquarid meteors. Jupiter causes the Eta Aquarid meteor shower to put out a maximum number of meteors in 12-year periods, but to the best of our knowledge, astronomers aren't expecting increased numbers of Eta Aquarid meteors in 2013. But this year the rather non-intrusive waning crescent moon makes 2013 a pretty decent year for Eta Aquarid meteors.
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