People in Rwanda may see shooting stars early on Wednesday morning as the Eta Aquariids meteor shower reaches its peak.

The shower is caused by debris from Halley’s Comet entering Earth’s atmosphere. It will peak between 3:00 AM and 5:30 AM on May 6, local time (GMT+2).

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The Rwanda Space Agency said the meteors known as Kibonumwe in Kinyarwanda will be visible if skies are clear. Meteors may appear anywhere in the sky, though they seem to come from the direction of the constellation Aquarius.

Meteors happen when space debris called meteoroids (most of them smaller than a grain of sand) enter Earth&039;s atmosphere at extremely high speeds, causing them to burn up and create streaks of light, the agency explained.

"The Eta Aquariids are layers of ice and rock left behind by Halley's Comet, which passes through our Solar System every 76 years. The particles we will see tonight were released hundreds, possibly thousands of years ago," it said.

To see them, people may need to go to a dark area away from city lights. No special equipment is needed. The best time is in the hours before dawn.

The Eta Aquariids produce fast-moving meteors that can leave short glowing trails. This year, a bright moon may make it harder to see fainter meteors.

The shower is active from mid-April to late May, but activity is highest around the peak date.