Iowa

When to see the Aquarids meteor shower, debris from Halley’s comet from Iowa

Published

7 months ago

May 3, 2025

When to see the Aquarids meteor shower, debris from Halley’s comet from Iowa

Skywatchers in Iowa have one last opportunity in the coming days to catch a meteor shower, as the next one won’t peak until late July.

The ETA Aquarids, a meteor shower that originated from the debris left by Halley’s comet, becomes most active each May during the first couple of weeks of the month. The Aquarids – sometimes spelled as “Aquariids” – are famous for being fast and leaving spectacular glowing trails in their wake.

The ETA Aquarids, a meteor shower formed from debris left behind by Halley’s comet, reach their peak activity each year during the first few weeks of May. The Aquarids — sometimes spelled “Aquariids” — are known for their incredible speed and glowing trails.

When does the ETA Aquarids meteor shower peak?

The Aquarids, which first became active on April 19, are due to peak between May 5 and May 6 and last until May 28, according to the American Meteor Society.

The Aquarids follow the Lyrid meteor shower in April and the Quadrantids in January.

What time can I see the Aquarids meteors?

The Aquarids are best viewed during the dark hours between midnight and dawn, according to the American Meteor Society.

The website Time and Date also provides detailed information about where and when to see the phenomenon. For Des Moines, peak viewing is usually between 3 and 6 a.m.

Where can you see Aquarids meteor shower?

The Aquarids should pretty much be visible around the globe, anywhere in the sky – assuming clouds and a bright moon don’t obscure the view.

However, the meteors are best seen from the Southern Hemisphere. That’s because the meteors seem to emerge – or radiate – from the constellation Aquarius, which is higher up in the sky in the Southern Hemisphere than it is in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the Northern Hemisphere, ETA Aquarid meteors appear as what NASA refers to as “Earthgrazers” – or long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon.

Heading to a rural area or anywhere that is as dark as possible to decrease the chances of light pollution will also help to unveil the best sights.

What is the weather forecast for Aquarids meteor shower in Iowa?

May 5 will be Iowans’ best chance of seeing the Aquarids meteor shower.

The night of Monday, May 5, will be mostly clear with a low around 48 degrees in Des Moines. Most of Iowa is forecast to have between 10% and 25% cloud cover overnight. Parts of northeast Iowa could have as much as 41% cloud cover.

Tuesday night will see increased cloud coverage with a low near 52 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Cloud cover is expected to be between 37% and 75% across Iowa between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Des Moines is forecast at 60% cloud cover. Clouds will be thickest in southwest Iowa and the least cloud cover will be in northeast Iowa.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

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Iowa

Iowa man charged in connection to horse-drawn buggy crash that killed teen

Published

12 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Iowa man charged in connection to horse-drawn buggy crash that killed teen

CLARKE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was charged Friday in connection to a deadly horse-drawn buggy crash that killed a teenager last month.

Jacob Wright, 41, of Grand River, is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.

The crash happened in Clarke County on November 12. According to the crash report, Wright’s car hit the back of the buggy and ran it into a ditch.

Elmer Borntrager, 16, was thrown from the buggy and died at the scene.

Police found Wright’s damaged vehicle days later about five miles from the crash scene.

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How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

Published

24 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

Another round of snow swept through Iowa, leaving more than 3 inches in some parts of the state.

Flurries began falling in Des Moines around noon on Thursday, Dec. 11, and persisted until late in the evening.

Here’s a look at the highest snowfall totals in Iowa as of 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, according to the National Weather Service.

What were the highest Iowa snowfall totals?

West Burlington: 4 inches
Parnell: 3.8 inches
Salem: 3.8 inches
Mooar: 3.6 inches
Webster City: 3.5 inches
Muscatine: 3 inches
Yarmouth: 3 inches
Williamstown: 3 inches
New London: 2.8 inches
Riverside: 2.8 inches
Ottumwa: 2.8 inches

How much snow did Des Moines get?

Over an inch of snow fell at the Des Moines International Airport, with the National Weather Service reporting 1.1 inches as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.

Grimes reported 1.3 inches of snow and other reports from the Des Moines area were around 1 inch.

Nevada in Story County reported 0.5 inches

How much snow did Iowa City get?

No reports were received from Iowa City, according to the National Weather Service. Nearby University Heights reported 1.5 inches. Oakdale reported 2 inches and North Liberty reported 1.3 inches of snow.

When is the next chance for snowfall in Des Moines?

Another round of snow is expected to begin Friday night and continue into Saturday, Dec. 13, in the afternoon.

Des Moines is projected to receive between 2 and 4 inches of snow during this time. A winter weather advisory is in effect for Des Moines from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The advisory is also in effect in cities spanning from Sioux City to Davenport.

Temperatures are also expected to drop during the weekend, with daytime highs of 9 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, and lows of 10 degrees below zero on Saturday and 1 degree below zero on Sunday.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

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Iowa

Iowa women’s wrestling goes on the road to defeat Grand View

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Iowa women’s wrestling goes on the road to defeat Grand View

While Iowa women’s wrestling rolled Grand View, 32-10, on Dec. 11 at Waukee Northwest High School, the Vikings provided a worthy challenge in Central Iowa.

The Hawkeyes and Grand View were the second leg of a doubleheader, with a high school dual between Raccoon River Wrestling and Ankeny, the top two teams at last season’s IGHSAU state meet, happening earlier in the night.

The Hawkeyes won each match that was held, but did not send a wrestler at 160 pounds, while Grand View did not participate at 180, so each team took one forfeit. In the eight matches held, Iowa won all of them and two by bonus points at 131 and 145. A sizeable chunk of Iowa’s top starters didn’t wrestle, but Grand View fought tough nonetheless.

“They’re (Grand View) scrappy and they fight hard,” said Iowa coach Clarissa Chun.

The Hawkeyes opened with four wins by decision from 103 to 124 against top-end wrestlers in the NAIA division. Sterling Dias earned a 3-0 decision over Judy Sandova (No. 2 in NAIA) at 103, followed by an 8-2 victory for Nyla Valencia over Tristan Nitta (No. 5 in NAIA) at 110 and a 9-2 decision for Brianna Gonzalez over Mayangelie Colon (No. 3 in NAIA) at 117.

In one of the best wins of the night, Cali Leng downed Catharine Campbell (No. 3 in NAIA) at 124 by a 9-1 decision. Her front headlocks and control of the hand fight led to her rotating behind Campbell for multiple takedowns.

“She’s got a big gas tank and a big heart,” Chun said. “She found ways to adjust and put points on the board.”

Emily Frost won at 131 pounds as she normally does, locking up a headlock and tossing Maya Davis for a win by fall in the first period. Iowa native Lilly Luft followed that pin with a tough win by decision, trailing by criteria at 6-6, but securing two takedowns late in the second period to defeat Adrienna Turner, 10-6. Before the two forfeits, Cadence Diduch rolled in a 10-0 technical fall of Sofia Delgado at 145 pounds.

In the final bout of the night, Libby Dix gave fans at Waukee Northwest a show. Trailing by criteria at 2-2, Dix scored a late step-out point with just a few seconds remaining to clinch the win. While she hadn’t wrestled a ton of freestyle before her college career, she won with her awareness late to score on the one-point action unique to freestyle.

“She’s a gamer,” Chun said. “She’s competitive. If she wasn’t, she would’ve been hung up on losing the match 2-2, but she wanted to go get one.”

The Hawkeyes have one more test before going off on winter break, traveling to Naperville, Ill. on Dec. 14 for the North Central Open.

Iowa women’s wrestling vs. Grand View box score

103: Sterling Dias (IOWA) over Judy Sandoval (GVU) (Dec 3-0)
110: Nyla Valencia (IOWA) over Tristan Nitta (GVU) (Dec 8-2)
117: Brianna Gonzalez (IOWA) over Mayangelie Colon (GVU) (Dec 9-2)
124: Cali Leng (IOWA) over Catharine Campbell (GVU) (Dec 8-1)
131: Emily Frost (IOWA) over Maya Davis (GVU) (Fall 2:21)
138: Lilly Luft (IOWA) over Adrienna Turner (GVU) (Dec 10-6)
145: Cadence Diduch (IOWA) over Sofia Delgado (GVU) (TF 10-0 2:08)
160: Kami Senlycki (GVU) over (IOWA) (For.)
180: Katja Osteen (IOWA) over (GVU) (For.)
207: Libby Dix (IOWA) over Andjela Prijovic (GVU) (Dec 3-2)

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

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