Wednesday, December 12, 2012
NASA says second comet could produce up to 30 meteors per hour.
Sky watchers on Dec. 13 -14 may get a double show. NASA scientists say a second meteor shower may appear near the constellation Pisces, according to NASA Science News. The shower could be active at the same time as the anticipated Geminid, which forecasters say could be the best meteor show of the year. The source of the new shower is Comet Wirtanen, according to Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Cooke recommends that sky watchers have a meteor night after sunset on Dec. 13 when the criss-crossing debris streams could produce the greatest combined number of shooting stars. He said meteors from the new shower, if they appear, would be visible in the early evening, while the Geminds would be more visible later in the …
Sunday, December 9, 2012
The most reliable meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, is on its way – with no moon to obscure the show.
The Geminid meteor shower 2012, the final major meteor shower of every year and likely to be the best, peaks overnight Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, and you may be able to see a great show on either side of those dates. If you liked the Perseids meteor shower 2012 in August, you should love this show. NASA reports that the Geminids are a relatively young meteor shower, with the first sitings occurring in the 1830s with rates of about 20 per hour. Over the decades the rates have increased, regularly spawning between 80 and 120 per hour at its peak on a clear evening. How spectacular is it? Just take a look at this video of the Geminid meteor shower. You can also look at some spectacular photos of the Geminids. Earthsky.org reports the Geminids peak …
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Leonid meteor shower will peak on Nov. 17 and Nov. 20.
Keep your eyes on the sky during the night of Nov. 17, because the famous Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak in the pre-dawn hours. These meteors are fast (about 40 miles per second) and can leave trails of smoke, according to Astronomy.com. They will appear to radiate from the constellation Leo the Lion and can vary in color. "Many Leonids are also bright. Usually, the meteors are white or bluish-white, but in recent years some observers reported yellow-pink and copper-colored ones," according to Astronomy.com. Here's one of the 10 coolest things to know about the Leonids, from Space.com: "Leonids are spawned by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Every 33 years, it rounds the Sun and then goes back to the outer solar system. On each passage …
