This summer, the sky comes alive with shooting stars. What you need to know about ongoing meteor showers.
The annual alpha Capricornids, the Southern delta Aquariids and the Perseid meteor showers are all currently active, with each celestial show set to last through mid-August.
Here's what to know about these meteor showers, and where and how you can spot shooting stars.
The alpha Capricornids
The alpha Capricornids and the Southern delta Aquariids will peak in activity at the end of this month, overnight from July 29 to 30, while the Perseids — often considered the best and most reliable shooting star display — will ramp up to its peak next month.
Skywatchers will likely encounter mostly favorable conditions for catching meteor showers this July, according to the American Meteor Society.
The alpha Capricornids meteor shower is not typically a strong display, but it can produce a number of bright fireballs while active. At its height, the meteor shower can produce around five shooting stars per hour under dark skies and clear conditions, according to the American Meteor Society.
The shower gets its name because the meteors appear to stream from the constellation of Capricorn. During this year's peak, the moon will be only 27% full, offering people on either side of the equator a chance to catch the celestial show.
The alpha Capricornids meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through clouds of dust particles and debris from the comet 169P/NEAT, which completes one orbit around the sun every 4.2 years. As pieces of debris hit the planet's atmosphere and vaporize, they create bright streaks of light that sometimes leave behind bright trails.
The Southern delta Aquariids
The Southern delta Aquariids, as their name suggests, are best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. This meteor shower is capable of producing up to 25 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, but the shooting stars are typically fainter.
Southern delta Aquariids can be tricky to spot, according to NASA, but the best chances this year will likely be in the early morning hours.
The meteor shower is thought to be caused by pieces of the comet 96P/Machholz, which completes one orbit around the sun every 5.2 years.
The Perseids
Finally, the Perseids meteor shower is underway and is expected to peak overnight from Aug. 12 to 13. The Perseids are usually one of the most highly anticipated skywatching events of the year because the meteor shower occurs during warm summer months in the Northern Hemisphere and it typically delivers a high rate of shooting stars. Under ideal conditions, the Perseids can produce as many as 100 shooting stars per hour.
This year, however, the moon will be around 84% full, which will likely wash out meteors and 'severely compromise this shower at the time of maximum activity,' according to the American Meteor Society.
'Such conditions will reduce activity by at least 75% as only the brighter meteors will be visible,' the society said in its forecast.
The Perseids shower occurs when Earth passes through a cloud of dust particles and debris left over from a comet known as 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
a minute ago
- The Guardian
‘A disaster for all of us': US scientists describe impact of Trump cuts
'Our ability to respond to climate change, the biggest existential threat facing humanity, is totally adrift,' said Sally Johnson, an Earth scientist who has spent the past two decades helping collect, store and distribute data at Nasa (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and Noaa (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Donald Trump's assault on science – but particularly climate science – has led to unprecedented funding cuts and staff layoffs across federally funded agencies and programs, threatening to derail research tackling the most pressing issues facing Americans and humanity more broadly. A generation of scientific talent is also on the brink of being lost, with unprecedented political interference at what were previously evidence-driven agencies jeopardizing the future of US industries and economic growth. Johnson was among scores of scientists conducting vital research across a range of fields from infectious diseases, robotics, education, computer science and the climate crisis, who responded to a Guardian online callout to share their experiences about the impact of the Trump administration's cuts to science funding. Many said they had already had funding slashed or programs terminated, while others fear that cuts are inevitable and are beginning to search for alternative work – either overseas or outside science. So far, the cuts have led to a 60% reduction in Johnson's team, and fear is mounting over the future of 30 years of climate data and expertise as communities across the country are battered by increasingly destructive extreme weather events. 'We won't be able to afford to continue providing the free and quality tools and services to make our data stores searchable, viewable, usable, and accessible. We might not even be able to afford to keep all the data … this will mean worse forecasts and less effective search and rescue responses leading to unnecessary and avoidable loss of life,' said Johnson (not her real name). Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Obbba) calls for a 56% cut to the current $9bn National Science Foundation (NSF) budget, as well as a 73% reduction in staff and fellowships – with graduate students among the hardest hit. The NSF is the premier federal investor in basic science and engineering, and more than 1,650 grants have also been terminated, according to Grant Watch, a non-profit tracking federally funded research grants under the Trump administration. At the behest of Trump, the hardest hit are studies aimed at addressing the unequal impact of the climate crisis and other environmental hazards, as well as any projects perceived to have a connection to diversity, equity or inclusion (DEI). An anthropologist who researches the impact of floods and cyclones on public health and food supplies in Madagascar, which is among the most vulnerable nations in the world to the climate crisis but contributed virtually nothing to the catastrophe, is leaving Johns Hopkins for Oxford University after funding for the remainder of her fellowship was threatened. 'I am devastated to leave family, friends and the grad students I am mentoring in the US, but this seemed like the only way to continue work I've been pursuing for 10+ years. I am working on improving climate mitigation and adaptation in an African country. After Trump was elected, the writing was on the wall. There is no way I can write grant applications that will be acceptable to this government.' A veteran infectious diseases researcher at Ohio State University was forced to abandon a clinical trial for a new medication to treat hypoxemic respiratory failure in Covid patients after the National Institute of Health (NIH) terminated funding midway through the study. The decision will save $500,000, but $1.5m had already been spent on the trial which researchers hoped would lead to new treatment options for the million or so people hospitalized with respiratory failure each year as a result of flu, Covid and other infections. The trial would have to be repeated from the start, in order to seek approval from the FDA. 'This is a disaster for all of us. We're all depressed and living on a knife-edge, because we know we could lose the rest of our grants any day. These people really hate us yet all we've done is work hard to make people's health better. A flu pandemic is coming for us, what's happening in cattle is truly scary and all we have is oxygen and hope for people,' said the Ohio scientist. Between 90 and 95% of their lab work is funded through the NIH. So far, more than 3,500 grants have been terminated or frozen by the NIH. Trump's budget proposes slashing NIH funding by more than 40%. The majority of scientists who got in touch described feeling anxious and despondent – about their own work if the cuts continue, but also about what seems an inevitable loss of talent and knowledge which could upend the US position as a global leader in scientific endeavors and ricochet for years to come. The brain drain is real. The Australian Academy of Science is leading the country's efforts to proactively recruit top US-based scientists, creating a new global talent program that includes research funding, access to Australian research infrastructure, fast-track visas and a relocation package. At least 75 scientists applied in the first three months of the program, the AAS told the Guardian. The Trump administration has accused universities, without evidence, of promoting leftwing radical thinking and research, but federal funds train scientists who go on to work for the oil and gas, mining, chemical, big tech and other industries. Several respondents said the private sector was also starting to feel the knock-on effect of Trump's cuts and tariffs. Wessel van den Bergh, a materials scientist with a PhD, was working on battery storage technology for a Chinese-owned renewable energy company in Massachusetts. He was laid off in early June amid Trump's tariff chaos and attacks on science and renewables, and is struggling to find work. 'When I started my PhD program, America was at the leading edge of batteries/energy storage but this is no longer true due to tariffs, funding cuts, and aggression towards green alternatives. Rather, the US has ceded its hard-earned expertise to other countries such as Korea, Japan and China,' Van den Bergh said. Trump supports the expansion of fossil fuels and has received millions of dollars in campaign donations from the oil, gas and coal industry, while his budget legislation terminated incentives for solar and wind energy. 'It's crushing, I don't see a clear path ahead any more. I no longer feel this country values science. It's genuinely heartbreaking to build your vocation to something that could genuinely benefit the world for it to be quashed for imagined political victories … especially at a time where these kinds of technologies are the only way out of the climate crisis,' said Van den Bergh. Separately, the Nuclear Physics Laboratory (NPL) at the University of Illinois got in touch after the Guardian's recent investigation into the chaos at the NSF. For almost 100 years the NPL has been at the forefront of cutting-edge science in drug discovery, cancer treatments, PET scans and other medical diagnoses, and semiconductor testing, with researchers playing a key role in world-renowned institutions like Cern and Los Alamos. It's a major hub for nurturing and training future talent, and at least 50 students have graduated with PhDs in the past 20 years. It was here that Rosalind Yalow got her PhD in nuclear physics in 1945, and then went on to invent radioimmunoassay – a technique to detect minute amounts of hormones, viruses and drugs in the blood which revolutionized medical testing for conditions such as diabetes. Yalow was awarded the Nobel prize in 1977, only the second woman to win it. The lab was recently informed that the NSF will reduce funding that supports graduates students from $15m for four years to $1m for one year. 'Our group in nuclear physics at Illinois actually predates the founding of the NSF in 1950, and we have a long history of both producing scientists and accelerator technologies that have had an impact on huge numbers of people,' said Anne M Sickles, professor of nuclear physics. 'If you cut the funding to the people who are doing the work right now, you don't know what they would have innovated in 10 years or 15 years or 32 years like Rosalind Yalow. We don't know what we're losing.' The NFS declined to comment, while the office of management and budget and NIH did not respond.
The Independent
31 minutes ago
- The Independent
Growing number of Americans want astronauts to visit Mars
A recent YouGov / CBS News poll indicates strong public support in the United States for further space exploration. The poll found that 67 per cent of Americans wish to see astronauts return to the moon, with 65 per cent supporting missions to Mars. Support for space exploration is consistent across all age demographics, with younger adults aged 18-29 showing the highest favourability at 71 per cent. A significant majority, 77 per cent, believe the 1969 moon landing was a worthwhile endeavour. Most Americans also feel that space exploration contributes positively to both national pride and scientific advancements.
Scottish Sun
31 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
I was sacked by NASA for telling TRUTH about alien mission – now I fear Mars astronauts won't come home alive
The astronomer claims Nasa's mission preparation standards are not up to scratch MARS ATTACKS I was sacked by NASA for telling TRUTH about alien mission – now I fear Mars astronauts won't come home alive Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOP scientist claims she was sacked by Nasa after raising concerns about alien life on Mars. Catharine Conley, the agency's Planetary Protection Officer from 2006 to 2017, also fears SpaceX astronauts won't come home alive. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Conley claims the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance was not cleaned properly Credit: Getty 10 An image of Mars's surface taken by the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance Credit: AP 10 Catharine Conley worked as Nasa's Planetary Protection Officer for over a decade until she was sacked Credit: NASA/GSFC/BILL HYRBYK Conley first accused officials at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in California of failing to clean the Mars 2020 rover correctly before its launch. Mars 2020 is Nasa's mission sent to search for samples of the Red Planet to bring home and test for evidence of past or current alien life. The rover, Perseverance, is still crawling around the surface after landing in February 2021. Its job is to obtain the samples which will then be collected by a future Mars Sample Return Mission. But Conley feared any material eventually flown home could be contaminated - and the whole mission scuppered. She claims she was suddenly removed from the position after speaking out - and suspects it was to silence her concerns. Conley told The Sun: 'Nasa decided they didn't want to do the kind of work that I had been doing. 'They didn't want to continue with the kinds of implementation that they had been doing historically. 'That was not something I thought was a good idea, so they decided they needed someone else for the job. "This was basic planetary protection as it had been done for the prior 50 years or so." Mystery space rock blazing through solar system 'may be oldest comet ever seen' Conley, who now works as a researcher, added: 'The Mars 2020 rover was cleaned in a way that was not compatible with prior levels of cleanliness, in particular regarding the amount of contamination that was getting introduced into the samples that were being collected for return. 'I pointed out that having a 0.1% chance of contaminating any individual sample, when you have 40 samples in total, comes out to a 4 per cent chance of having Earth contamination in the samples you're looking at. 'That makes it fairly difficult to be confident that you can distinguish between Earth life and Mars life. 'That was not something that the people at headquarters management wanted to hear and they took the steps that they thought were appropriate.' 10 Mars is the fourth planet away from the sun Credit: Getty 10 Retrieving samples from Mars is one of the most pressing priorities in space exploration Credit: Getty Conley claims she had been told of staff being careless when using gloves and protective equipment. She also claimed to have been told of staff bringing equipment into assembly rooms that was not properly cleaned, along with an 'attitude of skepticism I encountered regularly at JPL'. Nasa states on its website that Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover remains an active mission. It landed in February 2021 as part of Nasa's Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. In January the agency said it was hoping to announce plans for the returning of samples in the second half of 2026. But that has been thrown into doubt following Donald Trump's proposed cuts to Nasa, with MSR a casualty. 10 A photo taken by the Mars Perseverance rover of the Malgosa Crest abrasion patch Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech 10 Nasa intends to send a manned mission to Mars some time in the 2030s Credit: Getty China is preparing to press ahead with their own plans to return Mars samples. It has scheduled the Tianwen-3 Mars mission for launch in 2028, collecting and bringing samples back by 2031. But Conley still fears the same problem. She said: 'The concerns are similar. I've been looking at some of the reports that have come out about the Chinese proposed missions, and they're saying all the right things to the extent that I can obtain information. 'But it is difficult to follow up on what they are actually saying they're doing. 'I certainly had experience within my duties at Nasa of engineers saying one thing and doing something else. 'So it's difficult to know. But if other space agencies are not doing anything more than Nasa did, then I would be surprised if their contamination levels are low enough that you could detect the Mars signal underneath the background from Earth.' Despite the cuts, Trump has proposed no savings on Nasa's plans to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s. Nasa's mission to Mars Nasa hopes to send astronauts to Mars as early as the 2030s. The space company has been working to advance its technologies in a bid to send a human crew to the Red Planet. It would take astronauts up to nine months to reach Mars - which even at its closest is 33.9 million miles away. Astronauts could then spend up to 500 days on the planet's surface before returning to Earth - which would take another nine months. The crew would spend their time on the planet collecting data and assessing the planetary alignment that would allow the spacecraft to land and depart from Mars on the same orbit. Last year, the agency completed a year-long simulated mission that saw four crew members out in a replica habitat in Houston, Texas. They logged 378 days in the 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed habitat called Mars Dune Alpha. But Conley fears that doing so without a sample return mission means a gaping hole in knowledge for what astronauts will encounter. She also questions if astronauts will be allowed home if they fall sick. Conley added: 'Not doing a robotic sample return means we don't have detailed information about what kinds of materials the astronauts are likely to encounter, and possibly bring back to Earth, which could be quite problematic if there is something hazardous in Mars regolith, even if it's not biological. 10 The Mars 2020 mission is collecting samples which will ultimately return to Earth for tests for evidence of alien life Credit: Getty 10 The image was captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2008 Credit: NASA 'A question that didn't get answered during Apollo and certainly hasn't been addressed since is: if astronauts get sick after contacting Mars and we can't figure out why, should they be allowed to return? 'The fundamental problem, from my perspective, is overconfidence in thinking that we already know everything we need to know about what could happen, when we don't." Conley also warned of Elon Musk's plans to send a manned crew to Mars through his company, SpaceX. She added: 'SpaceX say they're planning to launch humans to Mars, but I have serious doubts about whether anyone would be alive when the spacecraft gets there since SpaceX doesn't seem to be developing long-term life support systems along with their rockets. 'Musk has made numerous claims about when he'll land humans on Mars that are distinctly implausible, at least if he wants the humans to be alive when they get there. 'Nasa is much more likely to be careful about preserving astronaut health but, ironically, seems not similarly concerned about protecting the Earth from possible Mars contamination.' The Sun has approached Nasa for a response to Conley's allegations.
