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Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Science
- Los Angeles Times
How to view the Perseids and other meteor showers near L.A.
My wife and I sat in camp chairs looking up alongside dozens of other curious stargazers. Suddenly, shouts of awe and joy rang out. We'd all spotted a meteor streaking across the sky at the same time. We'd driven from Los Angeles to the parking lot of the Mt. Pinos Nordic Base, which I'd been told was the closest darkest place to L.A., and were thrilled to find several amateur astronomers and their telescopes dotting the parking lot. We were all lucky that night to catch glimpses of a handful of shooting stars. But you, dear Wilder, have the opportunity to witness far more in the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks Tuesday night into early Wednesday, between midnight and dawn. And even if you can't make it out to see this meteor shower, I've outlined below how to observe others later in the year. Before we boldly go into where you can see the Perseids near Los Angeles, I wanted to share what I've learned about meteor showers, which I hope deepens your appreciation for them as it did mine. When you're gazing upward to view a meteor shower, you're observing space debris, including just 'little tiny almost grains of sand'-sized objects, burn up as they slam into Earth's atmosphere at a speed of tens of thousands of miles per hour, said Vanessa Alarcon, astronomical observer at the Griffith Observatory. In the case of the Perseid meteor shower, you're watching debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle as it neared perihelion, its closest approach to the sun. Comets are 'cosmic snowballs.' When one gets closer to the sun, Alarcon told me, ice and rock start vaporizing off the comet, leaving a debris field behind. Earth is orbiting through that debris field, as it does every August. The Perseid meteor shower is named as such because as you're watching, it appears as if the meteors are emanating from a point in the constellation of Perseus called the 'radiant point,' Alarcon said. Scientists have found that it takes Swift-Tuttle 133 years to orbit the sun once. I assumed that the current Perseids meteor shower was from debris left over the last time Swift-Tuttle swung by — and could be seen from Earth with the naked eye — in 1992. I was wrong and delighted over what I learned. 'In general, I would say the particles in the Perseids are at least many hundreds of years old, if not thousands of years old,' Paul Chodas, director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, told me. As you're watching debris slam into the Earth, consider that a long time ago, someone else was looking up at the sky, watching Swift-Tuttle leave that space dust behind. Humans have been observing Swift-Tuttle since at least 69 BC, when Chinese records noted a 'guest-star' moving in the southerly direction across the sky. The comet will swoosh across our sky and be visible to the naked eye in 2126. Perhaps a baby born today will get to be a happy 101-year-old looking up at the sky, watching Swift-Tuttle leave behind space dust for a meteor shower even further into the future. First, let's set expectations. This year, the moon will be at 84% full when the Perseids peaks next week, which will make it challenging to see many of its shooting stars. Alarcon told me, though, that studious sky watchers will still spot meteors. And I personally think seeing even a few is still pretty cool. (Alarcon told me she's spotted meteors even at Griffith Observatory, right in the heart of L.A.!) Times contributor Matt Pawlik compiled this great list of suggested locations where you can spot the Perseids. I'll add a few spots to that list. But first, here's how I found them. I used a light pollution map to determine where the darkest places near L.A. might be. I knew I'd probably be mostly looking in Angeles National Forest. I knew I wanted to find spots at higher elevations to get above the light dome of L.A., along with any marine layers and smog. Lastly, I wanted to find spots with clear views of the northern and northeastern sky because, per Stellarium, I could see that the Perseus constellation would rise from that direction. Some spots near L.A. to consider: If you are lucky enough to spot the Perseids, you can help contribute to science by reporting it to the International Meteor Organization. About 4.3 million meteors have been reported to its Visual Meteor Database. Just over 8,000 meteors have been spotted this year by 62 observers. You could add to the list. Also, if you do go out hiking at night, please bring friends or family and pack accordingly. Also, make sure someone outside your hiking party knows where you're going and when to expect you back. Other meteor showers this year include: I asked Alarcon, whose job it is to ensure Griffith Observatory's telescopes remain in tip-top shape, what it is about meteor showers that continues to take hold of the human psyche and delight us so much. 'Part of it, I feel like, as an L.A. native, is that it's because we're always deprived of [night sky], so it's nice to go out and try to recognize things our ancestors across the world ... had a fascination with,' she said. 'It's getting back to human roots.' 1. Bike and learn about oil fields in Inglewood The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter will host a guided bike and bus tour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday starting in Culver City. Participants will learn about the environmental challenges created by the Inglewood oil fields and about conservation efforts in the Ballona Wetlands. Attendees who bike will take the Park to Playa Trail 5.6 miles each way, while bus riders will take a chartered bus to various locations for walking tours. Register at 2. Hike under the full moon in Long BeachThe Los Angeles Hiking Group will host a four-mile full moon walk at 6 p.m. Friday around Naples Island in Long Beach. The group will meet at the Crab Pot (215 N. Marina Drive). Participants have the option to meet up for dinner, drinks and dancing at a nearby restaurant after the hike. Register at 3. Fly a kite in Gratitude Group's Adam Weiss will co-host a nature walk and kite-making event with Adventure Squad from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday at Griffith Park. The group will nosh on coffee and doughnuts before heading to a forested area of the park to make kites. They will fly the kites at a vista lookout point. A minimum donation of $10 is requested. Register at Let's all take a moment to appreciate the below-average temperatures we experienced in July because that's ending soon. Times staff writer Hannah Fry reports that downtown L.A. could reach the mid-90s by the middle of next week. Woodland Hills and Burbank, both near several great trails, could see triple-digit temperatures. 'We're not looking at temperatures like we've seen in some previous summers, where we've gotten to 120 degrees, but it's certainly looking like 5 to 10 degrees above normal,' said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. We'll count that as a small blessing, I guess! If you plan to go hiking, please go early, choose shady hikes or consider an evening trek with a friend. Or just go jump in the lake. Happy adventuring, L.A. County Parks and Recreation recently posted a teaser for its annual 'Pooches in the Pool,' when it allows dogs to swim in county pools before they're drained for the season. The event is usually sometime around Labor Day. I asked the parks department for further details, but they're not ready to spill. 'Before a doggy can get soggy with it, we are still finalizing swim dates for our canine chums,' the department's communications team wrote to me. 'We won't keep you treading water for too long.' The response at least made me snort with laughter. I will keep you posted. For more insider tips on Southern California's beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.
Economic Times
16-07-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
NASA alert: 10-storey tall asteroid to fly past earth tomorrow at 22,500 km/h. Size, distance & more
Synopsis An asteroid named 2022 YS5 will pass close to Earth tomorrow. The asteroid is about 120 feet in diameter. It will travel at a speed of 22,500 km/h. NASA and ISRO confirm that it is not a threat. ISRO is preparing for future asteroid threats like Apophis in 2029. Continuous monitoring of Near-Earth Objects is critical for planetary defense. Agencies Representative Image A massive asteroid roughly the size of a building is set to make a close approach to Earth tomorrow, July 17. Named Asteroid 2022 YS5, the space rock will zoom past at a staggering speed of 22,500 km/h, but both NASA and ISRO have confirmed that it poses no threat to our to NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), 2022 YS5 is about 120 feet (36.5 meters) in diameter—comparable to a 10-storey building. While its size may raise eyebrows, it's not large enough to be classified as 'potentially hazardous.' The asteroid will pass Earth at a distance of 4.15 million kilometers (about 2.58 million miles). Although this may sound far, it's considered relatively close in cosmic terms—especially at its speed of over 22,500 km/ classifies an asteroid as "potentially hazardous" only if it's larger than 85 meters in diameter, andpasses within 7.4 million kilometers of Earth. Since 2022 YS5 falls short on both criteria, it will be closely monitored but not considered dangerous. According to reports ISRO will be studying the 2022 YS5 in preparation for asteroid Apophis, which will make a very close approach in 2029. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath has emphasized the need for early detection, advanced monitoring, and possible deflection strategies. Collaborative efforts with NASA, ESA, and JAXA are already underway to develop missions that could land on asteroids, analyze them, and test ways to alter their trajectories. While 2022 YS5 is harmless, many experts caution that even smaller asteroids, like 2022 YS5, can change course over time due to factors like gravitational pulls or solar radiation. Continuous monitoring of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) is critical to identify potential risks early and respond accordingly.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Two asteroids the size of 32 George Washingtons to pass Earth on Fourth of July
Americans will use anything but the metric system. So let's put that to its most logical conclusion and measure asteroids with the first US president: George Washington. Two asteroids, both around the size of 32 George Washingtons, are set to pass by the Earth on Saturday, July 4, according to NASA's asteroid tracker. And no, we're not referring to one-dollar bills, but rather the man himself. And also no, this is not referring to the American inventor and peanut pioneer George Washington Carver, but the former US president. The asteroids have been designated 2025 MY88 and 2025 MV89, both discovered this year, as noted by the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). As is unsurprising for the tendency of these articles, these asteroids being measured in terms of the founding president of the United States are set to pass by the Earth on the Fourth of July, also known as American Independence Day. In what was rather surprising, both asteroid 2025 MY88 and its companion 2025 MV89 happen to actually be rather close in size. The first has an estimated diameter of up to 61 meters, with the second having an estimated diameter of as much as 65 meters. However, as is often joked about on the Internet, Americans tend to resist using the metric system. So let's put that to its most logical conclusion and literally use the founding pillar of the United States: George Washington. America's founding president, the general who led the Continental Army to victory over the British, with the help of the French, was a towering figure in both reputation and stature. As noted by George Washington's home of Mount Vernon, now home to the George Washington Library, the president stood at a towering 1.879 meters, or six feet and two inches in freedom units. What that means is that, after some rounding, both asteroids are around the size of 32 George Washingtons. Fireworks are typical of the Fourth of July, and if these two asteroids hit the Earth, then fireworks would be an understatement. The asteroids would likely not survive the actual trip through the atmosphere and wouldn't cause anything in the way of a mass extinction event. However, what they would do is explode. This explosion is known as an airburst, and they can be incredibly loud. For example, when a much smaller asteroid, approximately 20 meters in diameter, impacted over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, the airburst resulted in a large and powerful shockwave that was felt regionally. Over 7,000 buildings in multiple cities were damaged, and over 1,000 people were injured, mostly by broken glass. That's certainly a lot of damage, and these asteroids would likely be even worse. However, in the grand scheme of things, this would be far from an apocalyptic scenario, which would require an asteroid of around 140 meters in diameter to achieve. Of course, given the fact that most asteroids are thought to be rubble piles with indeterminate volume, the exact size is never quite certain due to the influence of gravity, which causes it to pull in different directions, distorting their shape. While scientists have made significant strides in the field of asteroid defense, we're not yet fully prepared. We still have some ways to go before we can declare our independence from asteroids.
UPI
19-06-2025
- Science
- UPI
NASA raises chance for asteroid to hit the moon
An artist's illustration of the James Webb Space in space. According to new data, NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has increased the likelihood that an object called Asteroid 2024 YR4 will strike the Moon in 2032. NASA Photo/UPI | License Photo June 19 (UPI) -- NASA has announced that an asteroid about 200 feet in diameter is now slightly more likely to crash into the moon. According to the newest data collected, NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has refined the expected course for Asteroid 2024 YR4 and has given it an increased 4.3% probability of striking the moon on Dec. 22, 2032. The original likelihood was at 3.8% probability. The space rock is too far off in space to be detected with ground telescopes, but the James Webb Space Telescope, which orbits the sun, was able to take a new look at the space rock earlier this month before it was obscured from view. It was that opportunity that provided the data that led to the changed forecast. Due to YR4's solar orbit, NASA won't be able to view it again until it comes back around the sun in 2028. According to a research paper submitted to the American Astronomical Society journals and published Monday, should the asteroid hit the moon, it could cause a crater as large as around 3,200 feet and release 6.5 megatons of energy. As much as 220 million pounds of lunar material could be released by such an impact, and then as much as 10% of that ejecta could fall to Earth a few days later, so "meteorites are unlikely, though not impossible" according to the paper, but it would create an "eye-catching" meteor shower. However, any moon bits that do come toward the Earth also could increase the meteoroid impact exposure faced by satellites in near-Earth orbit for as long as a decade.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Asteroid's odds of hitting the Moon have now more than doubled
Earth is safe from asteroid 2024 YR4, but fresh looks at the space rock using Webb and other telescopes have now increased its chances of impacting the Moon. After a brief stint as the highest risk asteroid we know about, 2024 YR4 is now deemed harmless to Earth. In fact, NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) and the ESA's Near-Earth Objects Coordination Centre (NEOCC) now only give a very slim chance of any threat from it. That probability now sits at just 1 in 120,000, but in 2047, a full 15 years after the 2032 encounter that initially raised so many alarms. However, based on the newest telescopic observations of 2024 YR4, its December 22, 2032 flyby may be the last time it ever passes by our planet. The extreme sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope allowed astronomers to continue to observe the asteroid long after it moved beyond the capabilities of Earth-based telescopes. Using the data collected by Webb, scientists with CNEOS updated their calculations of 2024 YR4's orbital path. Back at the end of February, when NASA had ruled out any significant danger to Earth from the asteroid, they also determined there was a 1.7 per cent chance it would strike the Moon. The new data has now increased that probability to 4.3 per cent. That's more than double the initial chance of lunar impact. The latest probability of impact for asteroid 2024 YR4, as of June 3, 2025, at 4.3 per cent of striking the Moon on December 22, 2032. Along the top of the image is NASA's sequence of plots generated from Jan 27 through Feb 23 showing how the asteroid's closest approach to Earh changed as observations refined its orbit. (NASA CNEOS) A 4.3 per cent of impact still counts as a 95.7 per cent chance that it will miss the Moon. So, with it having no chance of hitting Earth on that date, 2024 YR4 could simply slip through lunar orbit with no effect at all — just a telescopic curiosity to observe as it passes by. Still, at an estimated 65-metres wide, when 2024 YR4 was still thought to be a threat to Earth, it was (unofficially) considered to be a 'city-killer' asteroid. It was highly unlikely to have hit anywhere inhabited. However, if it did, that size of asteroid would have caused extensive damage on a local level. For any city in the impact zone, the effects would have been catastrophic. An estimate of the size and shape of asteroid 2024 YR4 based on telescopic observations. (NOIRLab) For comparison, the 20-metre asteroid that exploded over Cheylabinsk on February 15, 2013 produced an airburst — a pressurized wave of air — that shattered windows across the city when it reached the ground. Tiny fragments of the asteroid rained down over the area, with the largest piece, roughly 60 cm wide and with a mass of around 300 kg, punching a hole in the frozen surface of nearby Lake Chebarkul. The airburst that would result from 65-metre 2024 YR4 exploding would be powerful enough to level buildings. While not large enough to produce a crater, the shattered asteroid would likely include several larger pieces that would cause further damage and injuries upon striking the ground. If 2024 YR4 does hit the Moon in 2032, with no atmosphere to slow it down, it would impact with full force, travelling at nearly 13 kilometres per second, or over 46,000 km/h. The Waning Gibbous phase of the Moon on the night of December 22, 2032. (NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio) If it strikes somewhere in the dark region of the surface, the impact will certainly be noticeable from Earth. It wouldn't be powerful enough to affect the Moon's orbit, or knock any significant pieces off the Moon. It would certainly leave behind a crater that an orbiting spacecraft (such as NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) would be able to find, though. According to NASA, as of now, 2024 YR4 has moved beyond even Webb's ability to observe it, as it is now too close to the Sun. The next 'encounter' with the asteroid will be in 2028, with its closest pass at that time being around 20 times farther than the Moon. Telescopes should be able to find and track it, though, adding more to our knowledge of its orbit, and potentially locking down whether it will hit or miss the Moon when it returns four years later. (Thumbnail image was produced by the author, using photo-editing software, by adding a 3D computer model of asteroid 2024 YR4 to a background image of the Moon taken during NASA's Artemis 1 mission.) Click here to view the video
