Dueling meteor showers to peak on Monday night with new moon

These meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, not just in the constellation they're named after.

PEOPLE SLEEP through the annual Perseid meteor shower in the Ramon Crater last August. (photo credit: REUTERS)
PEOPLE SLEEP through the annual Perseid meteor shower in the Ramon Crater last August.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Two meteor showers will brighten the sky on Monday night, as a barely visible moon makes for ideal viewing conditions, according to Forbes.
The first shower, Delta Aquarids, is best seen by looking to the south in the direction of the constellation Aquarius. At its peak, the shower should produce about 20 meteors per hour, although most of them will be fairly faint.
The Alpha Capricornids is an even less productive shower with only about five meteors per hour, but bright fireballs are more likely to occur in this shower, according to the American Meteor Society. It is also viewed by looking to the south in the direction of the constellation Capricorn.
Meteors from these showers can appear anywhere in the sky, not just in the constellation they're named after.
Next month, the very productive summer Perseids shower will reach its peak of around 60 meteors an hour on the night of August 12, according to Forbes. It may be advisable to watch for Perseid meteors before August 7 however, since the moon will be very bright on the 12th, making fainter meteors hard to see.
To get the best view of the meteor showers, find a dark place away from light sources and light pollution between midnight and 4 a.m. It is best not to look at your phone for 20 minutes before looking for meteors, as the white light can make it hard for your eyes to adjust to the night sky in order to see the meteors.