Texas Stargazers Treated to Double Meteor Shower Peak This Week

Two meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids, will hit their peak at the same time late Tuesday night over Texas. It will be a rare and beautiful show in the sky.

Even though each one is only a small meteor shower, the American Meteor Society says that when they work together, they will produce 20 or more meteors per hour, some of which will look like bright fireballs.

From 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. local time, when there is the most action and the darkest skies, will be the best time to see it. Since the moon goes down before the peak, Texas stargazers should have excellent conditions, as long as the weather holds out.

In 2025, late July will be a fantastic time to see meteors because the moon will be high in the sky and will go down before the action is at its strongest.

People can see it without binoculars or other fancy gear; all they have to do is find a dark place south of the city. Nick Moskovitz, a scientist at Lowell Observatory, noted that the Alpha Capricornids are known for their meteors, which move slowly and have tails that remain visible in the sky for an extended period. This makes them very interesting to watch.

Meteor showers happen when the Earth moves through comet debris trails. Comet 96P/Machholz (Southern Delta Aquariids) and comet 169P/NEAT (Alpha Capricornids) are the stars that will shine this week. As the pieces of space junk hit the atmosphere, they burn up, leaving behind streaks of light in the night sky.

That is not all. Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle's debris is causing the Perseid meteor shower, which is one of the best and most frequent of the year. It will peak on August 12–13. The shower is known for producing 50 to 100 meteors per hour, with their bright fireballs being the most famous.

This week is an excellent opportunity for Texans willing to stay up late or get up early to catch a preview of the Perseids and enjoy a rare double meteor shower event.

Take a blanket outside and look up—the Texas sky is beautiful.

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