Two meteor showers will soon flash across the sky: What you need to know

(AP) — Get ready for a double meteor shower.

The Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks in late July. And this year it will coincide with a second smaller meteor shower, the Alpha Capricornids.

The Delta Aquariids occur annually in late summer in North America. This year’s peak activity will occur on Tuesday morning, with an expected 15 to 20 meteors per hour visible in the Northern Hemisphere under dark skies. Even better visibility is expected in the Southern Hemisphere. The meteor shower will last through Aug. 21, according to the American Meteor Society.

Around the same time, the Alpha Capricornid meteor shower will produce about five meteors per hour and will last through August 15.

Here’s what you need to know about the Delta Aquarids and other meteor showers.

What is a meteor shower?

Several meteor showers occur each year and you don’t need any special equipment to see them.

Most meteor showers originate from comet debris. The Delta Aquariids are thought to be the source of comet 96P/Machholz. The Alpha Capricornids originate from comet 169P/NEAT.

When rocks from space enter Earth’s atmosphere, they become very hot due to the drag of the air. This causes the air around them to glow, leaving a fiery tail for a short time — the end of a “shooting star.”

The glowing bubbles around fast-moving space rocks, ranging in size from a dust grain to a boulder, may be visible in the night sky.

These two meteor showers are not very numerous, but the Alpha Capricornids often produce very bright meteors, says astronomer Don Pollacco of the University of Warwick.

For skygazers, “one bright light is worth twenty weak ones,” he said.

How to watch a meteor shower

Meteor showers are usually most visible between midnight and early morning.

It is easier to see shooting stars under dark skies, away from city lights. Meteor showers also appear brightest on cloudless nights when the moon is at its waning best.

And your eyes are better adapted to seeing meteors when you’re not looking at your phone. “It messes up your night vision,” said NASA’s Bill Cooke.

The Southern Hemisphere has the best view of Delta Aquariids. Coinciding with a waning Moon at about 30% full means the clearest view is after midnight.

When is the next meteor shower?

The Meteorological Society maintains an up-to-date overview of upcoming major meteor showers, including the days when they are most visible and moonlight conditions.

The next major meteor shower is the Perseids, peaking in mid-August.