Look Up at Night and You May See 2 Meteor Showers at Once
The show will come courtesy of the Alpha Capricornids and Southern delta Aquariids meteor showers. The former began on Saturday and runs through Aug. 12, with a peak of July 29. Southern delta Aquariids will start on July 28, peaks early on July 29, and then runs until Aug. 12 as well. That means for one evening, the two meteor showers are peaking at the same time, giving stargazers a much better chance at catching a shooting star.
Of the two, the Southern delta Aquarids is typically the larger meteor shower, tossing upwards of 25 meteors per hour during its zenith. Alpha Capricornids is a lesser meteor shower, with about five per hour on average. Combined, they'll output an estimated 30 per hour.
How to see two meteor showers at once
Since the meteors are coming from two different points in the sky, you would think spotting meteors from both would be difficult, but that is far from the truth.
Alpha Capricornids, which hails from the 169P/NEAT comet, originates from the Capricornus constellation. It will rise from the eastern skies across the continental US around sunset and streak across the southern sky, setting in the western sky at sunrise.
For the Southern delta Aquariids, its radiant — the point from which its meteors seem to originate — is the Aquarius constellation. Aquarius is right next to Capricornus. That means it also rises out of the eastern horizon, streaks across the southern sky, and sets in the western horizon around dawn.
If you have trouble finding either of them, Stellarium's free sky map will help you hunt them down. Set the time, date and location, and you're off to the races. Once you find one, the other one is essentially right there next to it.
Tips on spotting meteors
As per the norm, the tips here are the same as they are for the aurora borealis and planet parades. Light pollution and weather are your two biggest enemies. Since you can only do anything about one of those, let's focus on light pollution. You'll want to drive as far away from the city and suburbs as possible, as the light pollution will make it difficult to see the dimmer meteors. The further away you are, the better, as even suburban light pollution can obfuscate most meteors.
Once out there, you just have to sit and wait. Since the constellations will move across the south as you watch, you may have to rotate your chair if you're out there for a while. Otherwise, a pair of binoculars may help. Telescopes aren't recommended, as they obscure your field of view and may actively obstruct your ability to see meteors.
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a day ago
- Yahoo
How to watch two meteor showers peak together in late July
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's almost time for summer's meteor shower duet. The Southern Delta Aquariid and the Alpha Capricornid meteor showers peak at the same time — in the early morning of July 30. Without too much interference from moonlight — the waxing moon will be only about a quarter full — the meteors should appear bright and clear in regions away from city lights. With each shower expected to produce up to a dozen visible meteors per hour under dark skies, the doubleheader means the total number of meteors 'do add up,' said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota. 'Look for flashes of light in the night sky,' he said, adding that both are 'very nice classic meteor showers.' The Alpha Capricornids — produced by slower-moving meteors — may have tails that linger slightly longer in the sky, said Nick Moskovitz of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Viewing of each shower lasts through August 12. What is a meteor shower? As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Delta Aquariids is debris from comet 96P/Machholz. The Alpha Capricornids stem from the comet 169P/NEAT. When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up. Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail — the end of a 'shooting star.' You don't need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights. How to view a meteor shower The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky. Competing sources of light — such as a bright moon or artificial glow — are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities. And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren't checking your phone. When is the next meteor shower? The next major meteor shower, the Perseids, peaks in mid August. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Solve the daily Crossword
a day ago
How to watch two meteor showers peak together in late July
WASHINGTON -- It's almost time for summer's meteor shower duet. The Southern Delta Aquariid and the Alpha Capricornid meteor showers peak at the same time — in the early morning of July 30. Without too much interference from moonlight — the waxing moon will be only about a quarter full — the meteors should appear bright and clear in regions away from city lights. With each shower expected to produce up to a dozen visible meteors per hour under dark skies, the doubleheader means the total number of meteors 'do add up,' said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota. 'Look for flashes of light in the night sky,' he said, adding that both are 'very nice classic meteor showers.' The Alpha Capricornids — produced by slower-moving meteors — may have tails that linger slightly longer in the sky, said Nick Moskovitz of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Viewing of each shower lasts through August 12. As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Delta Aquariids is debris from comet 96P/Machholz. The Alpha Capricornids stem from the comet 169P/NEAT. When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up. Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail — the end of a 'shooting star.' You don't need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights. The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky. Competing sources of light — such as a bright moon or artificial glow — are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities. And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren't checking your phone. The next major meteor shower, the Perseids, peaks in mid August. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
How to watch two meteor showers peak together in late July
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's almost time for summer's meteor shower duet. The Southern Delta Aquariid and the Alpha Capricornid meteor showers peak at the same time — in the early morning of July 30. Without too much interference from moonlight — the waxing moon will be only about a quarter full — the meteors should appear bright and clear in regions away from city lights. With each shower expected to produce up to a dozen visible meteors per hour under dark skies, the doubleheader means the total number of meteors 'do add up,' said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota. 'Look for flashes of light in the night sky,' he said, adding that both are 'very nice classic meteor showers.' The Alpha Capricornids — produced by slower-moving meteors — may have tails that linger slightly longer in the sky, said Nick Moskovitz of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Viewing of each shower lasts through August 12. What is a meteor shower? As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Delta Aquariids is debris from comet 96P/Machholz. The Alpha Capricornids stem from the comet 169P/NEAT. When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up. Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail — the end of a 'shooting star.' You don't need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights. How to view a meteor shower The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky. Competing sources of light — such as a bright moon or artificial glow — are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities. And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren't checking your phone. When is the next meteor shower? The next major meteor shower, the Perseids, peaks in mid August. ___
