Brilliant Bright Light Spotted In Michigan Night Skies
A brilliant flash of light from a “fireball” meteor had people talking across parts of Michigan early Saturday. The National Weather service office in Grand Rapids says reports of sightings came in from Coopersville, Kalamazoo, Manistee and Muskegon at around 12:45 a.m. Many reported seeing the "fireball" as far away as Chicago and Wisconsin.
The Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower peaked on May 5th, but meteors can still be spotted nearly every 10 minutes and will continue to be visible until May 28th. Unlike most major annual meteor showers, there is no sharp peak for this shower, but rather a broad maximum with good rates that last approximately one week centered on May 5th. The meteors we currently see as members of the Eta Aquariid shower separated from Halley's Comet hundreds of years ago. The current orbit of Halley's Comet does not pass close enough to the Earth to be a source of meteoric activity, according to Wikipedia.
The Eta Aquariids are best viewed in the pre-dawn hours away from the glow of city lights. So if you are outside late at night or early in the morning, don't forget to look up.