Aquarids

[ak-wuh-rids, ah-kwuh-]

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. either of two collections of meteors comprising meteor showers having their apparent origin in the constellation Aquarius and visible either in early May Eta Aquarids or late July Delta Aquarids.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Aquarids¹

Aquar(ius) + -id ¹

Example Sentences

The latest observable meteor shower will be the Eta Aquarids, which have been active since April 19 and are forecast to continue until May 28.

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Another meteor shower, the Eta Aquarids, is also active between April 15 and May 27, according to Space.com.

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Though the Eta Aquarids are best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, they can also be viewed north of the equator during their peak, when about 10 to 30 meteors can be seen per hour, according to Space.com.

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Although this is not the most abundant shower, the Aquarids have the distinction of originating from the residual dust cloud left behind by Comet Halley, which last visited near Earth back in 1986.

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Each year, Earth crosses through these trails of debris, resulting in two annual meteor showers: the Aquarids in May and the Orionids in mid- to late October.

Read more on Los Angeles Times