Although Monday and Tuesday nights already saw the 2014 Delta Aquarid meteor shower peak, skywatchers will be able to enjoy fantastic views up till the end of the week and well into the next one. Curiously enough, this is a double radiant meteor shower that peaks first on 29 July and second on 6 August.
Dark skies guaranteed this year by a new moon would make it possible for nearly the whole world to see the Delta Aquarid, most visible, though, from the southern hemisphere or in the tropics of the northern one.
The Slooh community observatory even employed a brand new equipment - for the purpose of better capturing and showing as many of the shower's meteors as possible: the shower can demonstrate from 15 to 20 meteors per hour.
The shower originated from the breakup of what are now the Marsden and Kracht Sungrazing comets and Earth traveling through the debris path left over from Comet Macholtz.Dust and particles from the comet burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere beautifully lighting up the night sky.
The view is likely still to be outshadowed by the Perseid shower, traditionally seen as the brightest of the celestial light shows that will reach climax on August 12 and 13.
