Sky watchers are going to witness another rare spectacle this weekend as the 2013 Eta Aquarids meteor shower peaks on the early morning hours of May 5. The Eta Aquarids will offer a much better display in the Southern Hemisphere but the meteor shower is still expected to be seen worldwide.

Furthermore, the Eta Aquarids display concurs with a New Moon therefore the skies will be dark enough providing the ideal environment on viewing the phenomenon. Viewers can experience watching about 40-85 meteors per hour at dark rural areas.

According to EarthSky, there is a possibility for the peak conditions to happen as well during the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, May 4 and Monday, May 6. "In a dark sky, especially at more southerly latitudes, the Eta Aquarids can produce up to 20 to 40 meteors per hour," EarthSky reported.

The report further added: "From mid-northern latitudes, you might only see about 10 meteors per hour. The shower is a result of debris from Halley's Comet and is active from April 19 to May 20, despite the May 5 or 6 peaks."

Meteors will be appearing from the southeastern portion of the sky at the Aquarius constellation where the brightest star is the Eta Aquarii. In catching the meteor shower peak on Sunday, the best times will start at about 4 to 5 hours before dawn which is midnight or 1 a.m.

Meanwhile, a fireball was reportedly spotted on Wednesday night at the western skies of the D.C. region. It is now speculated that the unexpected display was a possible preface for the upcoming Eta Aquarid meteor shower this weekend.

"At least 3 dozen skywatchers in 6 states in the Mid-Atlantic reported the fireball around 11:45 p.m.," the American Meteor Society reports. Some viewers excitedly shared their experience of witnessing the fireball streaking across the dark sky.

An unnamed eyewitness in Leesburg stated: "The most fascinating thing I've ever seen! I first thought it was a plane crash landing but quickly realized it was a star/meteor! Very bright, bold and wonderful to experience and see!"

Twitter username @kakdogan wrote on Thursday, May 2: "@capitalweather saw it around 11:40 pm on western horizon at Georgetown."

Listed below are the basic tips on how to watch the 2013 Eta Aquarids meteor shower:

1. Select a dark location far away from the bright city lights pollution as much as possible. The darkness will certainly provide much better chances of viewing the spectacular display.

2. The meteor shower can be seen with the naked eye. However, viewers must allow their eyes to fully adjust to the dark for at least half an hour.

3. Dim the smart phone screens or other gadgets to its lowest possible brightness.

4. Put on warm clothes and bring out the chairs, blankets and hot drinks to keep you comfortable while waiting for the meteor shower peak.

5. Be patient. The meteor shower viewing will be a long waiting activity.

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