Latest news with #meteor showers
New York Times
29-07-2025
- Science
- New York Times
Watch Twin Meteor Showers Reach Their Simultaneous Peak in Summer Skies
Our universe might be chock-full of cosmic wonder, but you can observe only a fraction of astronomical phenomena with your naked eye. Meteor showers, natural fireworks that streak brightly across the night sky, are one of them. The latest observable meteor showers travel in tandem. One, the Southern Delta Aquarids, has been active since July 18. The other, the Alpha Capricornids, got going on July 12. Both will reach their peak on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, or July 29-30. Each shower peters out around Aug. 12. The Southern Delta Aquarids, best seen in the Southern Hemisphere in the constellation Aquarius, while the Alpha Capricornids are visible from both hemispheres in Capricorn. With the moon around 27 percent full, viewing opportunities could be favorable. But the Southern Delta Aquarids, sometimes spelled Aquariids, tend to be faint, and the Alpha Capricornids rarely create more than five meteors an hour. A third meteor shower, the Perseids is also active. It is arguably the best sky show of the summer but doesn't achieve peak activity until Aug. 12-13. To get a hint at when to watch, you can use a meter that relies on data from the Global Meteor Network showing when real-time fireball activity levels increase in the coming days. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
ABC News
29-07-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Two cosmic events will bring spectacular display
Two massive cosmic events will converge over Australian skies - to put on a spectacular display of fireballs dancing across the cosmos over the next few days. This is because two meteor showers are peaking at the same time.
Daily Mail
28-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Tonight is the best night for stargazing all summer – with TWO meteor showers, a crescent moon and Mars all visible in the night sky
If you're a fan of stargazing, make sure you have your eyes fixed on the skies this evening. Tonight (July 28) is the best night for stargazing all summer – and you don't want to miss it! Eagle–eyed viewers will be able to catch not just one, but two meteor showers tonight – the Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids. If you're lucky, you'll be able to see up to 25 shooting stars flying overhead every hour. A crescent moon will also appear shortly after dark, as our lunar satellite reaches its Waxing Crescent phase. In addition, Mars will shine brightly this evening, with the Red Planet appearing as a distinct, reddish dot. Best of all, you don't need fancy equipment to spot any of these stunning astronomical displays. Here's how to spot them with the naked eye. Crescent moon Our moon follows a cycle which repeats about once a month (29.5 days), and includes eight phases – new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent. Tonight, the moon will be in the Waxing Crescent phase, meaning just a small sliver is visible in the night sky. 'This silver sliver of a Moon occurs when the illuminated half of the Moon faces mostly away from Earth, with only a tiny portion visible to us from our planet,' NASA explained. 'It grows daily as the Moon's orbit carries the Moon's dayside farther into view. 'Every day, the Moon rises a little bit later.' Mars Alongside the crescent moon, you might notice a bright red 'star' in the night sky. This isn't actually a star at all – it's Mars. While the Red Planet is well past its brightest point this year, it remains a distinct, red dot in the night sky. For the best chance of seeing the planet, look at the moon around 45 minutes after sunset. According to Live Science, the gap between the moon and Mars will be about one degree, which is roughly the width of your pinky finger held at arm's length. Two meteor showers Arguably the most exciting event this evening is the Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower, which will sync up with the Alpha Capricornid Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquariids are active from 12 July to 23 August, but will peak between 29–30 July, meaning tonight is a perfect time to catch it. 'A moderate meteor shower peaking in late July, the Delta Aquariids kick off the summer meteor season in the Northern Hemisphere,' Royal Museums Greenwich explains. 'Although best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, those living at mid–latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere will still be able to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower.' Tonight, experts predict that the Delta Aquariids will serve up to 20 shooting stars every hour. However, the Alpha Capricornids will provide an additional five shooting stars every hour – meaning you can expect up to 25 meteors in total. For your best chance of seeing the shooting stars, find an area well away from city lights if you can. 'Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair – lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible,' NASA says. Because meteors can be quite faint, keen astronomers need to get away from metropolitan areas. 'As with almost every shower, try and find a wide open space, as far from city lights as possible and fill your view with as much of the night sky as possible,' said Dr Greg Brown, public astronomy officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Do not worry if they are not instantly visible; NASA says it takes about 30 minutes in the dark for your eyes to adapt and you will begin to see the meteors. Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.
CNET
28-07-2025
- Science
- CNET
You Can See 2 Meteor Showers at Once This Week. How to Catch a Glimpse
While meteor showers happen all year, a rarer occurrence is having two meteor showers that peak at the same time. It'll happen this week, on Tuesday. The shooting star show comes courtesy of the Alpha Capricornids and Southern delta Aquariids meteor showers. The former is already happening and runs until Aug. 12, with a peak on Tuesday. Southern delta Aquariids will start on Monday, peaks early on Tuesday and 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 upward 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. See 2 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 watching meteor showers 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 farther 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.
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Singapore skies may sparkle with two meteor showers in coming weeks
SINGAPORE – Two meteor showers, including one known for its dramatic fireballs, are set to streak across Singapore's night sky in late July and mid-August if weather conditions allow. The Delta Aquariids and the Perseids, both annual occurrences, could be visible over the next few weeks, said The Observatory at Science Centre Singapore. The Delta Aquariids, which peak around July 30, originate from Comet 96P/Machholz and appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius. The comet was discovered in 1986 by American amateur astronomer Donald Machholz, a prolific comet hunter with more than a dozen discoveries to his name. Though not known for high meteor counts, the Delta Aquariids produce a steady stream of two to five meteors per hour, flashing into view at speeds of 40km per second. Some may leave glowing trails of gas in the sky. If cloud cover obscures the meteor shower as it peaks, stargazers may still see Saturn in the east after 11pm, according to the observatory. The Perseids – one of the best and most anticipated meteor showers of the year – will peak on the nights of Aug 12 and 13. It is best viewed during the pre-dawn hours between 3am and 6.45am, says the observatory. The Perseids are known for their high activity rate and fireballs, which leave a long glowing trail of light and colour across the sky. Under ideal conditions, up to 100 meteors may be seen in an hour. However, the 2025 Perseids may be harder to spot, as moonlight from a waning gibbous moon – a bright phase between a full and half moon – could outshine the meteors. The moon will also be near the radiant point, which is the area in the sky from where the meteors appear to emerge, making them less visible, according to the observatory. Both showers return each year as the Earth passes through dusty trails left behind by ancient comets. No special equipment is needed to view the meteor showers. The best views are expected from dark, open areas such as parks, beaches or reservoirs. The observatory will not hold special viewing events for either shower, but its regular Friday night stargazing sessions will continue. These offer telescope views of stars and planets to the public. More details are available at Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
