Lie down and look up at the early morning sky this weekend, and you might spot a meteor — and then another meteor. And another.
Stargazers can look forward to ideal conditions over the next few days that will allow them to glimpse the meteor particles as they fly off a comet and enter Earth's atmosphere, set ablaze by friction, leaving a bright streak across the sky.
Often, but incorrectly, called shooting stars, the annual meteor shower known as Eta Aquarids hits peak viewing just in time for this weekend.
"Bring beach chairs out and enjoy it," said Antonio Paris, manager of Space Programs at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa.
The light show has nothing to do with stars. Rather, the grainy bits are a trail of debris left from Halley's Comet as it orbits the sun.
Ice melting off a giant dirty snowball flying through space can actually make for a relaxing show.
Astronomer Jeff Rodgers, director of the Bishop Planetarium in Bradenton, estimates viewers in the Tampa Bay area will see 10 to 20 meteors an hour early each morning through Sunday — if they're in a dark enough location. You can start looking up around midnight, though the ideal time may be in the hours before dawn around 4 a.m.
What makes this weekend a better time to spot meteors is that a new moon started tonight, which means the moon won't be visible. The nights around a new moon are darker than normal.
The less light — even moonlight — makes for better meteor spotting, as does getting away from city lights.
"Hop in your car and drive inland," Rodgers said. "Even a 15- to 20-minute drive is good to get away from city and suburban lights."
Craig Joseph, the planetarium director at St. Petersburg College, said the weather conditions this weekend are expected to be clear, which isn't always the case during late spring in Florida.
So where can you go that's dark enough?
Avoid big street lights, Joseph said. Parks can be ideal, but he cautioned that some may be closed if stargazers try to set up in the early morning. Spots along the Gandy Bridge may be dark enough for those not wanting to travel far.
Rodgers suggested beaches with little build-up, like Anna Maria Island on the coast of Manatee County. But even an empty parking lot or the side of a rural road could work.
Paris will be at the FarrOut Observatory in Dade City on Saturday night — not only for meteor spotting, but to set up telescopes to check out the "parade of the planets." Spectators will be able to see Jupiter, Mars and Saturn. The observatory is at 10942 Singletary Road.
But catching some of the meteor shower doesn't require any fancy equipment. The best tool, according to astronomy buffs? A blanket to lie on so you don't strain your neck.
Paris said some gazers will likely be able to catch a few showers if they go outside while drinking their early morning coffee, even if they live amid some light pollution.
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Explore all your optionsRodgers said the next chance to catch a shower this summer will be around Aug. 12. Meteor showers are happening nearly every month, but astronomers predict peak times that people will actually be able to catch the "falling stars."
"The really good ones are like 100 an hour," Rodgers said. "But your odds are better this weekend than most weekends, so why not look up at the sky?"
Contact Sara DiNatale at sdinatale@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3400. Follow @sara_dinatale.