The Eta Aquariid shower passes annually, but this year's conditions mean it's set to be more spectacular than most.
In the debris of Halley's Comet, streams of dust catch the light to create a meteor shower called the Eta Aquariids. Jonti Horner, a professor of astrophysics from the University of Southern Queensland, said it's one of the few celestial events better seen from below the equator. "It's unusual as it's one of the only annual showers better seen in the southern hemisphere," he said. "We really get a ringside seat, the best deal.
"This could be the strongest shower of the 21st century, including the last 24 years and the 76 years to come," he said. Earth begins to encounter the debris from Halley's Comet in mid-April, but for around a week centred on 6 May, the planet moves through the densest part of the stream, and the Eta Aquariids reach their peak.
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