Southern Delta Aquariids
The Southern Delta Aquariids are a summer meteor shower peaking in late July, best seen from the southern hemisphere.
The Southern Delta Aquariids peak around 28 to 30 July, with meteors coming from near the star Delta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius. From the southern hemisphere and tropics, rates can reach about 20 to 25 meteors per hour. From the UK, the radiant stays low, so fewer are seen, but they add to the Perseids, which are active at the same time.
The parent body is thought to be Comet 96P/Machholz, or fragments related to it. This comet is part of the Machholz complex, a family of objects including sungrazing comets of the Marsden and Kracht groups and the daytime Arietid meteor shower.
Delta Aquariid meteors are fairly faint and travel at about 41 kilometres per second. You can tell them from Perseids by tracing their paths backwards: Delta Aquariids come from the south, while Perseids come from the north-east. Observing both showers together on a warm summer night is a good introduction to meteor watching.
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Level: Explorer Ages 10 and up