The Southern Delta Aquariids (SDA) meteor shower is set to peak later this month. But how can you catch a glimpse of this cosmic show?

Meteor showers are celestial events during which numerous meteors streak across the sky, appearing to originate from a single point—known as the radiant. They occur when the Earth passes through streams of cosmic debris left behind by comets and, in some rare cases, asteroids.

Meteors are the streaks of light we see in the sky when tiny fragments of space debris burns up in the Earth's atmosphere at high speed. Colloquially, they are referred to as "shooting stars".

In the case of the Southern Delta Aquariids, the parent body of this meteor shower is not known for certain, although astronomers suspect it to be the four-mile-wide comet 96P/Machholz, which orbits the sun about once every five years.

Scientists used to think that the SDA meteor shower originated from the break-up of the Marsden and Kracht comets. But subsequent research has indicated that 96P is the more likely source.

The SDA shower takes place between mid-July and late August every year. In 2022, the shower will be active between July 18 and August 21, according to the American Meteor Society, peaking on the night of July 29-30.

The Southern Delta Aquariids are best seen from the southern tropics. North of the equator, the shower is still visible from mid-latitudes, although rates of visible meteors are significantly lower than in the southern hemisphere where you might be able to see 20-25 per hour at peak times.

This shower generally produces good meteor rates for a week centered on the peak, featuring meteors that tend to be faint while lacking persistent trains.

The radiant that SDA meteors appear to come from lies in the constellation Aquarius near the bright star Delta Aquarii, although it should be noted that you may spot one of these shooting stars in any part of the sky.

"In order to identify a meteor as an SDA, you need to be able to trace the path of the meteor back to the constellation Aquarius," which is low in the south around this time, Rick Fienberg, a former spokesperson for the American Astronomical Society, previously told Newsweek.

Fortunately, on the night of the shower's peak in 2022, the moon will only be around one percent full, meaning there will be minimal interference from moonlight, providing ideal viewing conditions—depending on the weather where you are of course.

For your best shot of seeing the meteor shower, it is recommended to find a dark area well away from the city or street lights, according to NASA, with an unobstructed view towards the south.

The radiant of the shower lies above the southern horizon and will reach its highest point around 3:30 a.m. local time where you are, so it is a good idea to head out an hour or two before to increase your chances of seeing the shower. Your eyes will take around 30 minutes or less to adapt to the dark conditions (try to avoid looking at your phone or other device screens as this can interfere with the adaptation process).

Bring a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair so you can lie down or sit comfortably looking up at as much of the sky as possible. You won't need any special equipment like telescopes or binoculars to see the meteors. Your eyes are the best instrument to view these events as they will enable you to observe large parts of the sky.

While looking for the radiant will help you to identify meteors as Southern Delta Aquariids, for the best view, NASA recommends looking halfway between the horizon and zenith (the point in the sky directly above you), as well as 45 degrees away from the Delta Aquarii.

If you only look toward the direction of the radiant, the meteors from this shower will all appear short, whereas they will appear longer in other parts of the sky.

It is also important to check the weather forecast for your chosen observation location as clear skies are required to see meteor showers. You may have to choose a different spot or head out on another day if weather conditions are not looking good.

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