Mysterious light seen over S'pore Sports School on May 6 from Eta Aquarids meteor shower

A streak of light seen over Woodlands was photographed in the early hours of Tuesday, May 6.

It was captured by Lianhe Zaobao photographer Li Guanwei.

And nope, that wasn't an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO), or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, the current preferred term by the U.S. Department of Defense.

This celestial spectacle is part of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower.

It occurs yearly, around early May.

Peaking these few days

This year, the meteor shower is active from Apr. 20 to May 21, with peak visibility on the nights of May 6 and 7.

The best viewing time is around 3am, when the night sky is the darkest.

This particular meteor shower gets its name from its radiant point, which is the area in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate.

The radiant point for the Eta Aquarids is near the constellation Aquarius and the star Eta Aquarii.

The brilliant flashes of light we see are actually glowing trails of debris formed when the meteors enter Earth's atmosphere.

If you want a better chance of seeing the meteor shower, head over to open spaces less illuminated by city lights, such as Changi Bay Point and Upper Seletar Reservoir.

Top image: Lianhe Zaobao