Meteor shower to peak this week

WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- A meteor shower made up of debris from Halley's Comet should peak just before dawn Tuesday morning.

Though the comet only shows its face around Earth every 75 to 76 years, that doesn't mean we don't still see evidence of its existence every once in a while.

Each time it makes a pass around the sun, Halley's Comet leaves a trail made up of dust or cosmic litter. That litter comes close to Earth twice each year: once in May, called the Eta Aquarid meteor shower and once in October, called the Orionid meteor shower.

The Eta Aquarid should be most visible early Tuesday morning and late Monday night. It's been seen under a dark, moonless sky, and at its peak, up to 60 meteors could be seen each hour.