One of spring’s most breathtaking meteor showers is happening this week - KSAT San Antonio

Grab a blanket, a lawn chair and get ready to kick back and bask in one of the most breathtaking sky events of the spring season.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is set to happen before dawn Wednesday, May 5, coming from the debris trail of Halley’s comet, according to a report from USA Today.

Although the meteor shower is slated for Wednesday, reports said there could be some meteors in the sky on May 4 or 6 as well.

Each time Halley’s Comet returns to the inner solar system, NASA said its nucleus “sheds a layer of ice and rock into space.” The dust grains from the debris eventually form the Eta Aquarids.

The Eta Aquarid meteors are known for their speed, as they’re traveling around 148,000 miles per hour into Earth’s atmosphere, according to USA Today. You may also see “glowing trains” from the meteors if they’re traveling at a high speed, which can last for several seconds or minutes.

NASA officials said the Eta Aquarids arrive in May and the Orionids come in October, if they collide with the Earth’s atmosphere.

This is a meteor shower you won’t want to miss, as NASA officials said Halley’s Comet takes about 76 years to orbit the sun just once, and it will not enter the inner solar system again until 2061. You can learn more about Halley’s Comet here.

Earthsky.org has a few tips to help you get the best view possible of the meteor shower:

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