Latest news with #shooting stars
BBC News
2 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Alpha Capricornids meteor shower: How to watch in the UK
Have you ever seen a meteor shower? If not, this summer could be your chance. From 3 July to 15 August you might be able to spot the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower in our skies, with the shower producing its peak rate of meteors on 30 July. There are usually several opportunities to see meteor showers in the UK throughout the on to find out how to spot the Capricornids and others in the future. What is a meteor and meteor shower? Some people call meteor showers shooting stars, but they aren't really stars, just tiny chunks of rock burning up in the Earth's or meteoroids are small pieces of space debris or rock that fall towards Earth's atmosphere where they burn the space rock falls towards Earth the resistance of it makes it extremely produces a bright streak of glowing hot air behind it. So, what we see isn't actually the falling rock - it's the glowing heat around it - racing across the Earth encounters many meteoroids at once, we call it a meteor shower. How can I see the Alpha Capricornids Meteor Shower? Meteor showers are named for the constellation where the meteors appear to be coming example, the meteor shower happening this month is the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower, as this is the constellation that the meteor appears to be coming from. To see a meteor shower you don't need any special equipment, but a pair of binoculars can help. The best time to spot this shower will be after midnight on or around 30 July. Top tips on spotting meteor showers As mentioned you can see the shooting stars with the naked eye, so you won't need any special the best chance to spot a meteor shower you should find a location with minimal light possible it is better to go away from urban areas where the light pollution from buildings, car headlights, street lamps and neon signs can cause too much up warm and bring a chair and some thick blankets so you can sit or lie down and look up for long periods without getting neck strain, or getting too luck, stargazers!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
This summer, the sky comes alive with shooting stars. What you need to know about ongoing meteor showers.
Three different meteor showers are happening at the same time this month, giving skywatchers plenty of chances to spend their summer nights looking for shooting stars. 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. This article was originally published on
