Aquarid
- noun
- /ˈækwərɪd/
- Specialized
- Many people gathered on the hilltop to watch the Delta Aquarid meteors streak across the night sky.
- Aquarid meteor shower
- Eta Aquarid
- Delta Aquarid
Examples
-
The Delta Aquarid meteors are running right now too.
Fiction book (1993) -
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is the second, which happens when Earth passes through another stream of debris from the comet in May.
Blog text (3) -
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is expected to bring a spectacular display of shooting stars this week.
-
Astronomers recommend viewing the Aquarid meteor shower between midnight and dawn for the best experience.
Synonyms
A small rock from space that burns up as a bright streak in the sky
Many bright shooting stars appear in the night sky at once
Surface Forms
Morphology
Aquarid = Aquarius (semi-transparent) = aquari + id
Derived from the constellation name 'Aquarius' with the meteor-related suffix '-id'; the link is straightforward if one knows the naming pattern but the suffix is specialized.
Etymology
An Aquarid comes from the group of stars Aquarius, which is built on aqua meaning 'water' and means 'water-bearer'. So a meteor that seems to come from that place in the sky is called an Aquarid.