Our universe can be full of cosmic wonder, but you can only observe a fraction of astronomical phenomena with the naked eye. Meteor's showers, natural fireworks that rush into the night sky, are one of them.
The last shower of observable meteors will be the ETA aquarids, which has been active since April 19 and which should continue until May 28. The shower reaches its peak from May 5 to 6 or from Monday evening to Tuesday morning.
The Meteor Aquarid ETA shower is known for its fast fireballs, which occur when the earth passes through the rubble left by the comet of Halley.
Sometimes spelling ETA aquarid, this shower is more easily visible from the southern tropics. But a lower meteor level will also be visible in the northern hemisphere near sunrise. The moon will have almost two thirds of the night of the show.
The early hours of Tuesday seem promising, with a clear sky on the west coast, the Southeast and certain parts of the Midwest, said Marc Chenard, meteorologist of the meteorological prediction center of the federal government.
He underlined parts of the Midwest such as Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri, as well as the Carolines in Florida, seeming clear.
For people from the northeast and the big lakes, as well as the plains and the rocks, more naked conditions are expected during the night.
For those of the southern hemisphere, where the meteor shower is the most pronounced, Mr. Chenard noted that the parts of northern South America, including Colombia, Venezuela and regions to Peru, are likely to be too cloudy for good vision on Tuesday morning.
However, the sky further south could offer better vision conditions.
“It seems that it could be a little clear to Chile,” he said. “And then Brazil is a kind of mixed bag, but there will be clear places, but also some zones of clouds there.”
To get a clue to the time to look, you can use a meter This is based on the global meteor network data showing when real -time fireball activity levels increase in the coming days.
Where the showers of meteors come from
There is a chance that you can see a meteor every night, but you are more likely to catch one during a shower. Meteor's showers are caused by the earth passing through the rubble dragging a comet or an asteroid as it oscillates around the sun. This debris, which can be as small as a grain of sand, leaves behind a flow of brilliant light that it burns in the earth's atmosphere.
Météor's showers occur almost at the same time each year and can last days or weeks. But there is only one small window when each shower is at its peak, which occurs when the earth reaches the densest part of the cosmic debris. The peak is the best time to look for a shower. From our point of view on earth, the meteors seem to come from the same point from the sky.
Perseid meteor shower, for example, culminates in mid-August for the Perseus constellation. The Geminids, which occur in December, radiate Gemini from Constellation.
Bookmark The Times Space and Astronomy Calendar for reminders on meteor showers throughout the year.
How to watch a meteor shower
Michelle Nichols, director of public observation Adler planetarium In Chicago, recommends giving up the use of telescopes or binoculars while watching a meteor shower.
“You just need your eyes and ideally a dark sky,” she said.
Indeed
Some showers are strong enough to produce up to 100 sequences per hour, According to the American Meteor SocietyAlthough you probably don't see much.
“Almost everyone is under a polluted lighting sky,” said Ms. Nichols. “You may think you are under a dark sky, but in reality, even in a small town, you can have lively lights nearby.”
Planetariums, local astronomy clubs or even cards like this one Can help you determine where to get away from excessive light. The best conditions for catching a meteor shower are a light sky without moon or cloud cover, between midnight and sunrise. (The moonlight affects visibility in the same way as light pollution, washing lower light sources in the sky.) Make sure you give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adapt to seeing it in darkness.
Ms. Nichols also recommends wearing diapers, even during the summer. “You're going to be seated there for a while, looking,” she said. “It's going to be cold, even in August.”
Bring a cup of cocoa or tea for even more heat. Then lie down, scan the sky and enjoy the show.
Nazaneen Ghaffar Contributed reports.
