Pieces of Halley’s Comet will streak across the night sky this week. Here’s what to know

Halley’s Comet won’t swing by Earth again until 2061, but you could see pieces of it this week.

A meteor shower made of debris from Halley’s Comet will peak this week, according to news outlets. The meteors are bits of Halley’s Comet that separated from the comet “many hundreds of years ago,” according to the American Meteor Society.

The Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower is expected to peak before dawn on May 5, Bill Cooke, NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office head, told Space.com.

Stargazers can expect to see between 30 and 40 meteors every hour if the conditions are right, according to The Weather Channel. They’re only seen on the morning side of Earth, sometimes not clearing the horizon until 2 or 3 a.m., according to the American Meteor Society.

“Most observers in the northern hemisphere have a two hour window prior to dawn to view these meteors,” the Meteor Society said on its website. People closer to the equator will have the best luck in catching the shower, according to Space.com

The improved air quality because of coronavirus lockdowns could also improve visibility for the meteor shower, The Weather Channel reported.

This year, however, the shower happens at the same time as a full waxing gibbous moon, according to EarthSky. Its brightness could make it hard to see the meteors light up the sky.

“That’s why we recommend you try watching for meteors before sunup on May 1, 2 and 3,” EarthSky reported. “Fewer meteors will be flying then, but there will be a larger moon-free window between moonset and dawn.”

This story was originally published May 2, 2020 at 2:06 PM with the headline "Pieces of Halley’s Comet will streak across the night sky this week. Here’s what to know."