![]() Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Delta Aquarids have a moderate atmospheric entry velocity around an average of 41 kilometres a second. Delta Aquaird's radiant is located just north of the bright star Fomalhaut in the constellation Piscis Austrinus near Right Ascension 339 degrees and Declination -17 degrees. The source of the Delta Aquarids was unknown until 1986 when amateur astronomer Donald Machholz discovered that this meteor shower is caused by remnants of Comet 96P/Machholz. Only 4 of the 18 major annual meteor showers occur below the ecliptic plane and 3 (the Alpha Capricornids, and the Eta and Delta Aquarids) approach the Earth from south of the equator. The Delta Aquarids are one the very few showers with a southern hemisphere radiant. (Credit: MeteorShowersOnline / Image produced by the Author using Skåhart III 3.5 and Adobe Photoshop 5.5.) The red line across the bottom of the image represents the horizon. The Delta Aquarids are active from July 14 to August 18, and unlike most showers, have a very broad peak. The L ast Quarter Moon will diminish the visibility of all but the brightest meteors in the early morning hours of July 30, 2013. This year's Delta Aquarid meteor shower is expected to peak on July 30. These are usually faint meteors that lack both persistent trains and fireballs. These meteors produce good rates for a week centered on the night of maximum. North of the equator the radiant is located lower in the southern sky and therefore rates are less than seen from further south. The Delta Aquariids are another strong shower best seen from the southern tropics.
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