Skygazers have a treat coming to them at the end of July, as the firmament will feature not one, but two -- and maybe even three -- meteor showers. As Earth's orbit crosses the paths of two comets, meteor showers associated with those events are set to peak at around the same time, from July 29 to 31. And the prolific meteor shower known as the Perseids might actually overlap with the other two.
Technically, the two other meteor showers began earlier in July. The Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower, which is caused by the 96P/Machholz comet, started its show on July 18, while the 169P/NEAT Alpha Capricornids shower began on July 7. However, meteor showers tend to ramp up in intensity until they peak and then ramp back down.
The peaks boast the greatest meteor activity and are the best time to watch a meteor shower. For the Southern Delta Aquariids, the peak dates are July 29 and 30. The Alpha Capricornids shower peaks on July 30 to 31. So July 30 is the day if you want to see them both peak at the same time.
Once the peaks have passed, the Southern Delta Aquariids will continue until Aug. 21 and the Alpha Capricornids will finish up its show on Aug. 15, according to the American Meteor Society.
There's also a chance that the Perseids will make an appearance. That famous meteor shower started on July 14 and will run until Sept. 1. The Perseids peak doesn't occur until the evenings of Aug. 11 and 12, but it'll be delivering some meteors in the days leading up to and after the peak, meaning some of the meteors you spot may be from the Perseids as well.
Where can I see the meteor showers?
The best vantage point for the meteor showers will be in the southern hemisphere, leaving out North America and Europe. However, folks in the northern hemisphere can still see meteors from both showers if they have a good vantage point of the southern horizon. You'll want to get somewhere that is as dark and as high as possible and look south. As always with celestial events, you'll want to leave behind the light pollution of a big city for the best chance at spotting meteors.
After midnight and before sunrise are the best times to view the show. It'll depend heavily on where you are and where the moon is on the horizon. People who can see the moon on the southern horizon will need to look before the moon rises or after the moon sets on July 29 and 31 to get the best show.
But good news for North America and Europe: The Perseids will be best viewed from the northern hemisphere, so if you're looking up and see a meteor that isn't against the southern horizon, there's a good chance it was from the Perseids. When the Perseids shower peaks in the middle of August, people in the northern hemisphere will have the best show.
Washington state's Mount Baker is shown during the Perseids meteor shower.
Liang Li/Getty ImagesHow many meteors can I expect to see?
Assuming complete darkness and a good vantage point, the show should be fairly consistent. Alpha Capricornids isn't the most intense meteor shower and is expected to produce about five meteors an hour. Southern Delta Aquariids is much more active and could produce upward of 15 to 20 meteors per hour, according to the Smithsonian.
For the sake of comparison, the Perseids will launch off between 50 and 75 meteors per hour on average during its peak, making it a more spectacular experience. However, at this point in its rotation through the inner solar system, it's not likely to be as active as the other two.
How often do multiple meteor showers happen?
National Geographic says that about 30 meteor showers can be seen from the Earth's surface every year, but far more can occur that may produce only one or two meteors. Major meteor showers that humans can actually see occur about once or twice a month. Most of them are fairly minor and produce only a short peak, with a fair amount of inactivity.
The Perseids, Geminids and Ursids are some of the larger shows that come along regularly, with a supporting cast from the likes of the Quandrantids and Orionids popping up from time to time. Despite their commonality, however, it's unusual for two major showers to peak at the same time, which is what makes the upcoming Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids show particularly special.