Halley’s Comet debris will fly through sky in annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower

Debris from Halley’s Comet will streak across the sky overnight for the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. Pieces of the icy comet break off and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, making them visible to people on the ground below, according to NASA. This year’s shower will peak on Wednesday at 9 a.m. EDT with as many as 30 meteors whizzing through the sky at its busiest, according to Bill Cooke, the lead at NASA’s Meteoroid Environmental Office, but the best time to view it will be from late tonight into the early-morning hours. A large waning gibbous moon may obscure part of the shower, meaning that it isn’t expected to be as spectacular as in previous years. However, with plenty of meteors still streaking through the sky, it could be worth setting your alarm for.

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