The Delta Aquariids for Kids
Next peak · 272 nights to go
Night of 29–30 July 2027 · Moon 15% · Good
Worth a look after dark, if the sky is clear.
A few in the late evening, as the radiant rises in the south-east.
The next Delta Aquariids peak is the night of 29–30 July 2027. A 15% Moon is up for part of the night. Verdict: good. Worth a look after dark, if the sky is clear. At best a dark sky gives about 25 an hour, by the American Meteor Society's calendar; the Moon is from astronomy-engine.
The Delta Aquariids are summer shooting stars. They come in July, from low in the south.
The Delta Aquariids peak at the end of July, a warm time to lie out on a blanket. They are a medium shower and they mix with the first Perseids, so a summer night can bring both.
The Southern Delta Aquariids probably come from Comet 96P/Machholz. Their meteors are often faint, so a dark sky matters more than for brighter showers, and from the northern United States the radiant stays low in the south.
In late July two showers overlap, so a shooting star might be a Delta Aquariid or an early Perseid: trace it back to tell.
Which way to look, and when
Low in the south after midnight.
Best between about 1 am and dawn. Active 12 July to 23 August.
Where does it come from?
The Delta Aquariids are dust from Comet 96P/Machholz, probably. The bits hit the air at about 41 kilometers a second and glow as they burn up. The streaks seem to start from Aquarius, which is how the shower got its name.
Every peak in our table
| Night of 29–30 July 2027 | Good. A 15% Moon is up for part of the night. |
|---|
Some calendars give a peak one night either side; a shower is active for days around it, so the nights next to the peak are worth a look too.
How to watch
- Go out with a grown-up, dressed warmer than you think, with a blanket or a reclining chair.
- Put phones away and give your eyes twenty minutes to get used to the dark.
- Look up at the whole sky, not at one spot, and count every streak you see.
The shower night kit
One sheet to take outside: a box for every ten minutes, a line for the brightest one, and a tick for the clouds. Counting is the game.
The Delta Aquariids: my shower night
Peak: the night of 29–30 July 2027. Look up at the whole sky. The streaks point back to Aquarius. peabody.kids/space/showers/delta-aquariids
☐ Warm coat and hat ☐ Blanket or chair ☐ Grown-up ☐ Phones away for 20 minutes
| Ten minutes from | Shooting stars I counted (|||| ||) |
|---|---|
| ____ : ____ | |
| ____ : ____ | |
| ____ : ____ | |
| ____ : ____ | |
| ____ : ____ | |
| ____ : ____ |
The brightest one went from ________________ to ________________.
Clouds? ☐ none ☐ some ☐ lots · My total: ______
If the sky is clear. Peak night and rate: American Meteor Society; the Moon: astronomy-engine.
Other showers
“Don't look at one spot. Lie back and let your eyes take in the whole sky.”