The New York TimesJan 04, 2021 10:05:50 IST
Throughout the year as the Earth changes around the sun, it passes through streams of cosmic debris. The resulting meteor showers can light up the night sky from dawn to dusk, and if you’re lucky you might catch one.
If you see a shower, what you really see is the remnants of frozen comets falling into the Earth ‘s atmosphere. Comets are like dirty snowballs: As they travel through the solar system, they leave behind a dusty trail of rocks and ice that lie in space long after they leave. As the Earth passes through these waterfalls of comet debris, the pieces of debris – which may be as small as grains of sand – break through the skies at such a speed that they explosion, creating a celestial fireworks display.
Photo provided by W. Liller / NASA, Comet Hailey over Easter Island, March 8, 1986. All year round, the Earth passes through streams of cosmic debris. Here is a list of some of the main meteor displays and how to see them. (W. Liller / NASA through the New York Times) – FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. –
General rule of thumb with meteor showers: You never look at the Earth entering a remnant from the comet ‘s latest orbit. Instead, the burning pieces come from the previous passes. For example, during the Perseid meteor shower, you see meteors cleared from the visit of his parent comet, Comet Swift-Tuttle, in 1862 or earlier, not from his most recent pass in 1992.
That’s because it takes time for debris from a comet’s orbit to move to a position where it intersects with Earth’s orbit, according to Bill Cooke, an astronaut with NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.
The name associated with a meteor shower is usually associated with the constellation in the sky from which they came, called radiant. For example, an Orionid shower is found in the sky when stars have a good view of the Orion constellation.
As you look
The best way to see a meteor shower is to get to a place that has a clear view of the night sky. It would be best if that was somewhere with dark skies, away from city lights and traffic. To seize your chances of capturing the show, look for a place that offers a panoramic, unobstructed view.
Bands and pieces of meteor displays are visible for a certain amount of time, but they actually appear from dusk to dawn on a few days. These are the days when the Earth’s orbit crosses through the thickest part of the cosmic flow. Meteor showers can change in peak times, with some reaching a peak for just a few hours and others for several nights. Showers are usually visible after midnight and before morning.
It is best to use your naked eye to see a shower. Binoculars or telescopes usually limit your field of view. You may need to spend about half an hour in the dark to allow your eyes to get used to the less light.
Stargazers should be warned that too much moonlight and inclement weather can hide a shower of rain. You can check the level of the moon, and your local weather report, to see if you can get a good display.
If your local skies don’t light up, there are sometimes live meteor streams online, such as those hosted by NASA or Slooh.
While the International Meteor Association lists several meteor displays that were on display, below you will find the showers that are likely to be visible in the skies this year. Peak dates can change throughout the year as astronauts update their estimates.
The Quadrantids
Active from 28 December to 12 January. Peaks around 2-3 January.
The Quadrantids present their own New Year’s fireworks display. Compared to most other meteor displays, they are unusual in that they are thought to have originated from an asteroid. They tend to be narrower with fewer streaks in the skies than others on this list.
The Lyrids
Active from 14 April to 30 April. Peaks around April 21-22.
There are records from ancient Chinese astronauts seeing these light explosions more than 2,700 years ago. They blast through the skies at about 107,000 mph and explode about 55 miles up in the planet ‘s atmosphere. This shower comes from Comet Thatcher, which travels around the sun about every 415 years. His last visit was in 1861 and the next rendezvous will be near the sun in 2276.
Na Eta Aquariids
Active from 19 April to 28 May. Peaks around 4-5 May.
The Eta Aquariids, sometimes referred to as the Eta Aquarids, is one of two meteor showers from comet Halley. The shower sister, the Orionids, comes to prominence in October. Specks from the Eta Aquariids flow through the skies at around 148,000 mph, making it one of the fastest meteor showers. His display is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere where between 20 and 30 meters per hour is generally popular. The Northern Hemisphere tends to see about half as much.
South Delta Aquariids
Active from 12 July to 23 August. Peaks around July 28-29.
They come from Machholz’s Comet 96P, which passes by the sun every five years. Its meteors, which are between 10 and 20 per hour, are visible in advance, between 2-3 in the morning. It tends to be more visible from the Southern Hemisphere.
The Perseids
Active from 17 July to 24 August. Peak around 11-12 August.
The Perseids light up the night sky as the Earth rushes to pieces of cosmic debris left behind by a Swift-Tuttle Comet. The dirty snowball is 17 miles wide and will take about 133 years to orbit the sun. His last visit was in 1992.
Normally between 160 and 200 meteors glow in the Earth’s atmosphere every hour at the height of the display. They move through the atmosphere at about 133,000 mph and explode about 60 miles above them.
The Orionids
Active from 2 October. to 7 November. Peaks around 19-20 October.
The Orionids encore the Eta Aquariid shower, which peaks in May. Both come from cosmic materials sputtered from Halley’s comet. With the celestial celebrity passing through the Earth once every 76 years, this weekend’s showers are your chance to see the remnants of the comet until the real deal passes there. in 2061.
The Leonids
Active between 6 November and 30 November. Peaks around 16-17 November.
The Leonids have one of the clearest meteor showers, and every few decades it emits a meteor storm where more than 1,000 meteors can be seen per hour. Cross your fingers for good luck – the last time the Leonids were so strong in 2002. His parent comet is called Comet-Temple / Tuttle and orbits the sun every 33 years.
The Geminids
Active from 4 December to 20 December. Peak around 13-14 December.
The Geminids, along with the Quadrantids that emerged in January, are thought to have come not from comets, but from asteroid-like space rocks. The Geminids are thought to have been produced by something called the 3200 Phaethon. If you can see them, this shower can illuminate the night sky with between 120 and 160 meteors per hour.
The Ursids
Active from 17 December to 26 December. Peaks around 21-22 December.
The Ursids tend to illuminate the night sky around the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. They only burn about 10 to 20 meteors per hour. They appear to be stinging from Ursa Minor and coming from Comet 8P / Tuttle.
Nicholas St. Fleur c.2021 New York TimesMete Company