Double meteor shower set to light up Utah skies

Meteors in the night sky. Photo: Photo by Олег Мороз // Unsplash

PARK CITY, Utah —  Keep your eyes to the sky next week as two meteor showers reach their peak overnight on July 29-30. 

The Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids will both be active during this window, sending bright streaks of light across the southern portion of the sky. Combined, the two showers could produce up to 25 meteors per hour under ideal viewing conditions.

The Southern Delta Aquariids are known for their steady meteors, which tend to be faint but often leave persistent trains. This shower typically favors the Southern Hemisphere, but it’s also visible from northern latitudes. According to the American Meteor Society, this shower has a broad peak and offers good rates between July 24 and July 31, so skywatchers have a wider window to catch the show.

The Alpha Capricornids, on the other hand, are less active but more dramatic. Though they produce fewer meteors per hour, these meteors are slow-moving and often brighter, making them easier to spot.

Because both showers appear to radiate from Aquarius and Capricorn, which are in the southern sky, the best time to view them is in the pre-dawn hours, when those constellations are highest above the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere.

To improve your chances of seeing meteors:

• Find a dark location with minimal light pollution—away from city lights and with an open view of the southern sky.
  
• Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark, and avoid looking at your phone.
  
• Bring a blanket or reclining chair so you can look up comfortably.

With no bright moonlight to wash out the sky, conditions should be excellent for meteor viewing, as long as the weather cooperates.

Read more about what to see in the July night sky.