Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
NewsNation
How to watch the double meteor showers tonight
By Isabelle Charboneau,
5 hours ago
( NewsNation ) — Southern states will be able to see the peak periods of two meteor showers nearly overlap Tuesday night, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS).
Meteor showers are caused by the Earth passing through the trail of debris left behind by a comet. As comets travel through space, they shed tiny particles of dust and rock that enter the Earth’s atmosphere as it passes through. The particles burn up and create bright streaks of light in the sky.
Meteor showers are usually most visible between midnight and pre-dawn hours and are easier to see under dark skies away from city lights.
The southern Delta Aquarids reached its peak on the night of July 29, but it is active between July 18 and Aug. 21 and is best observed from the southern tropics. Experts from the AMS recommend looking toward the southwestern sky if the moon is above the horizon when viewing.
According to the AMS , these meteors are usually faint and lack persistent trains and fireballs. The parent comet of the Delta Aquarids is comet 96P/Machholz.
The Alpha Capricornids will reach their peak on the night of July 30 but are active from July 7 to Aug. 15. They can be seen equally well on either side of the equator.
According to the AMS , this shower is not very strong, rarely producing more than five shower members an hour, but it produces many bright fireballs. The parent comet of the Alpha Capricornids is comet 169P/Neat.
The next significant meteor shower will be the Perseids, which is active from July 14 to Sept. 1 and peaks on Aug. 12. The AMS says that the Perseids are particles released from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0