Latest news with #meteorShower
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Your Ultimate Guide To Meteor Showers And The Perseids — By An Expert
A fireball streaks across the morning sky above NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program ... More of NSF NOIRLab funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. What's a summer without a meteor shower? If lying underneath a sky full of stars waiting for meteors is your thing, summer in the Northern Hemisphere brings one not-to-be-missed opportunity — the Perseids. Sadly, that's not the case this year, with an almost full moon destined to bleach the sky so much that barely any of its 75-100 'shooting stars' per hour will be visible. Luckily, there are other summer meteor showers, and it just so happens that the peak night for two others overlaps with the best night to see at least a hint of the Perseids. From the famed Perseid meteor shower to the fireball-prone Alpha Capricornids and the reliable Delta Aquariids, here's everything you need to know about seeing 'shooting stars' this summer with this ultimate guide to meteor showers in summer 2025. Perseids: Summer's Moonstruck Meteor Shower The Perseid meteor shower is the most anticipated celestial event of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, but in 2025, special care is required to avoid disappointment. Active from July 17 to Aug. 23, the Perseids peak overnight on Aug. 12–13. In 2025, however, stargazers face a challenge: a full sturgeon moon on Aug. 9 will still be bright enough to outshine all but the brightest meteors during the peak. Here's the rub — ignore the peak night and instead opt for two moonless nights as close as possible to it: July 29–30 and August 15-16. On both occasions, you'll likely get a modest showing of Perseids — about 5 to 15 meteors per hour — but under truly dark, moonless skies. Even at lower rates, the Perseids can impress. Known for fast, bright meteors with long trails, they radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeast. However, you don't need to fixate on any one direction—its meteors, like all meteors, can appear anywhere in the sky. Plus, there's an additional reason to skywatch for "shooting stars" on July 29-30. Delta Aquariids And Alpha Capricornids Peaking on the same night as the Perseid's best early showing will be no fewer than two meteor showers — the Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids. The Delta Aquariids will bring up to 25 faint meteors, but they're consistent and can be seen for a few nights on either side of the peak. Their radiant point lies near the constellation Aquarius in the southern sky. It's a similar story for the Alpha Capricornids, which also emanate from the southern sky in the constellation Capricornus. They'll number only five to 10 meteors per hour, but what they lack in numbers, they may make up for in spectacle because these slow, bright meteors can often be fireballs. Expert Advice On Seeing 'Shooting Stars' According to NASA, the best way to watch a meteor shower is to get out of the city, away from urban light pollution, to the darkest location you can find. A good option is a Dark Sky Place or a location that appears dark on a light pollution map. Allow at least 20-30 minutes for your eyes to adjust, and refrain from looking at your smartphone to allow your eyes to dark adapt. Have a wide, unobstructed view of the sky, a lawn chair or a blanket to lay down on, and do not try to use a telescope or binoculars — a rookie error that will hugely restrict your view. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix adding NASA+ to streaming service this summer. How to watch
Ready to see a meteor shower in your living room? NASA has announced that its streaming service, NASA+, is coming to Netflix this summer. According to the news release, NASA is bringing the excitement of the agency's discoveries, inventions and space exploration to people, wherever they are. Astronomy enthusiasts and households across the world will have another option to stream rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage and breathtaking live views of Earth from the International Space Station, said NASA. "The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 calls on us to share our story of space exploration with the broadest possible audience," said Rebecca Sirmons, general manager of NASA+. The partnership will allow increased viewership and engagement with global audiences of more than 700 million people, the release stated. "Together, we're committed to a Golden Age of Innovation and Exploration – inspiring new generations – right from the comfort of their couch or in the palm of their hand from their phone," said Sirmons. NASA+ is available through the NASA app and on the agency's website for free. According to Netflix, subscribers find NASA+ live feeds in the Netflix interface alongside your favorite series later this summer. Detailed schedules will drop closer to launch day, so check back to Tudum for more details in the coming weeks. Audiences will see rocket launches, mission coverage and real-time ISS vistas — all streaming in HD glory. NASA+ remains free on the NASA app and Netflix is simply another (very handy) window into the great beyond says Netflix. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NASA+ lands on Netflix: Stream space exploration from home
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
In 2025 how and when to see July's full Moon and the Delta Aquariid meteor shower
From a meteor shower, a dual display of the Moon and Mars, to a full Moon - there are an array of celestial events to look out for after dark this first happens on Friday 4 when the July night sky will bring the greatest chance of seeing the planet Mercury in 2025. It will be at its furthest distance from the Sun, making it easier to spot in the sky just after sunset. If you look towards the low western area of the horizon during twilight you should hopefully catch a glimpse of Mercury appearing to look like a small star. But be quick before it follows the Sun and dips below the skyline. Will you or won't you see the full Moon? The full Buck Moon rises on 10 July at around 22:00 BST but whether or not you get to see it depends on where you are - and the weather conditions of course. As with the other full Moons across the year, they are named after events in nature happening around the same time. This month's full Moon was named to represent the time of year when male deer, known as bucks, begin to grow their new antlers. For many it marked the start of the game hunting to the Sky at Night magazine this month's full Moon will be a low hanging one, external, meaning that in some parts of the northern hemisphere, including the UK, it might be too close to the horizon to really see it well. More meteors for July Starting on 12 July, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower begins its annual display, peaking on the nights of 28 and 29 can expect between 15 and 20 meteors an hour especially in dark-sky locations, but you'll need to be up after midnight to see them. While they're best viewed from the southern hemisphere, observers in the northern hemisphere should still catch a decent are believed to originate from Comet 96P/Machholz, a short-period comet that orbits the Sun every five years. The meteors tend to be faint, so darker skies will enhance visibility, especially around the new Moon on 24 July when it could also be possible to see parts of the Milky Way. The Moon and Mars are a double delight Just to keep you on tenterhooks you have to wait until July ends to see a striking conjunction of the Moon and Mars on 29 JulyIf you look to the eastern sky before dawn you should be able to see the waning crescent Moon closely aligned with the red skies are clear, you may be lucky enough to observe Mars and its striking reddish forget that the weather and cloud cover in your location will have an impact on what you can see, but you can check that and the sunrise/sunset times where you are on the BBC Weather app or online.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Look up! What's going on in the July night sky?
Eyes to the sky for the month of July to see the Buck Moon, two different meteor showers crisscrossing the night, and the waning phases of the Moon appearing near some of the brightest planets in the sky. Here is the Astronomical Guide for July 2025: July 2 — First Quarter Moon July 10-11 — Full Buck Moon July 12 — delta Aquariid meteor shower begins July 15-16 — Saturn near Gibbous Moon (after midnight) July 17 — Perseid meteor shower begins July 18 — Last Quarter Moon July 21 — Venus near Crescent Moon, Jupiter nearby (predawn) July 23 — Jupiter near Crescent Moon, Venus nearby (predawn) July 24 — New Moon July 28 — Mars near Crescent Moon (evening) July 28-29 — delta Aquariid Meteor Shower peaks The astronomical events for July 2025, including the phases of the Moon, planetary conjunctions, and meteor showers. (Scott Sutherland, moon graphics from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio, conjunctions courtesy Stellarium) The Waxing Crescent Moon will be in the western sky during the evening hours on the first night of the month, with the First Quarter Moon rising on the second. We will see the Waxing Gibbous Moon from the 3rd through the 9th, with the Full Buck Moon — the first Full Moon of Summer 2025 — crossing the sky from the evening on the 10th through until the morning on the 11th. However, the Moon will appear full (over 99 per cent illuminated by the Sun) from just after midnight on the morning of the 10th through until the evening of the 11th. The Waning Gibbous Moon will shine in the sky from the 11th to the 16th. Look for it near Saturn in the hours after midnight on the night of the 15th to the 16th. The Last Quarter Moon rises on the 17th, with the Waning Crescent Moon visible in the eastern predawn sky each morning from the 18th to the 23th. See it pass by bright Venus on the 21st, then nestled between Venus and Jupiter on the 22nd, and finally passing Jupiter on the 23rd. The night of the 24th could be the best time to look for meteors (see below), as the New Moon gives us the darkest skies of the month. Then, once the Waxing Crescent Moon reappears in our evening skies, look for it near the planet Mars just above the western horizon after sunset on the 28th. DON'T MISS: When we hear about meteor showers, often only the peak of the event gets any solid mention. It's certainly understandable, since that is when the greatest number of meteors from that particular shower are visible to us. However, meteor showers are not limited to just one night. For the dozen or so notable ones we follow each year, the shortest lasts for around 4 days, while the longest goes on for over two months! During the month of July, we see the start of two different meteor showers, both of which are remarkable in some way. The first begins on the night of July 17. Appearing to streak out of the constellation Perseus, in the northeastern sky, this meteor shower is known as the Perseids, and it is one of the best of the entire year. Originating from a comet known as 109P/Swift-Tuttle, the Perseids typically deliver between 50-75 meteors per hour during the shower's mid-August peak. It also produces the greatest number of fireballs out of all the meteor showers of the year. Fireballs are meteors of exceptional brightness, many of which can be seen even through urban light pollution. While most Perseid meteors result from miniscule specks of space dust hitting the atmosphere, the fireballs are due to comet debris ranging from a grain of sand up to a pebble in size. The Perseids start off slowly in July. For the first week or so after the shower begins, we may see just a few meteors each hour, flashing out of the northeastern sky. However, by the end of the month, it typically is already producing around 15-20 meteors per hour. Even though that's still around two weeks before the Perseid's peak, that's still equivalent to the peak of a moderate meteor shower, like the April Lyrids! Just one night after the Perseids start, we encounter a second stream of debris in space, resulting in the Southern delta Aquariid meteor shower. While this one tends to put on a better display for those located in the southern hemisphere, skywatchers across Canada should still get a decent show out of it. As with the Perseids, the delta Aquariids start off at a rate of just one or two meteors per hour on the nights of the first week or so. During the last few nights of July, though, this meteor shower reaches its peak, with the rate jumping up to around 20 per hour. Overlapping with Perseids at that time, the sky could be filled with crisscrossing meteors at the end of the month. Astronomers aren't quite sure exactly which comet or asteroid the delta Aquariids come from, but right now, the most likely 'parent body' is an oddball comet called 96P/Machholz. Discovered in 1986, Comet Machholz has a strange orbit and chemical composition compared to other similar comets. One hypothesis for this is that it could be an alien comet from some distant star system that was ejected and then captured by the gravity of our Sun. Thus, each delta Aquariid meteor could represent a piece of some distant solar system burning up in our atmosphere! READ MORE: The summer constellations shine this month. In the south, Leo leads the way as the constellations cross the sky, with Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Serpens/Ophiuchus, and Aquila in a loose lineup just after sunset. Higher up in the sky we will see Boötes, Hercules, and Cygnus. The constellations in the southern sky at midnight on July 15-16, 2025. (Stellarium) After midnight, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces, and Cetus follow, with Taurus rising predawn and the "bow" of Orion poking up above the horizon just before sunrise. High up, Pegasus, Andromeda and Perseus swing around from the north. Meanwhile, if you are facing north, Pegasus, Andromeda, and Perseus will be near the northern horizon at the start of the night. Cygnus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, and Camelopardalis ("The Camel") will be visible low in the evening sky, along with Lynx to the northwest. Ursa Major ("The Big Dipper"), Ursa Minor ("The Little Dipper"), and Draco will be circling the north celestial pole. The constellations in the northern sky at midnight on July 15-16, 2025. (Stellarium) After midnight, Auriga and Taurus will rise in the northeast, with Orion showing up before dawn. Thumbnail image shows a Perseid meteor captured by Nelson Liu from Ottawa on August 13, 2023. Click here to view the video
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astrophysicist explains if the meteorite that landed in Georgia could be connected to the current meteor shower
"The thing is that time ranges when those meteors could occur," Moffett said. "It could be associated with that meteor shower, or it could just be a completely random instance."
