Thursday, December 13, 2012
EarthSky.org is saying that because there will be no moon, 2012 will be a great year to see this meteor shower.
The final major meteor shower of the year, the Geminid meteor shower 2012, will peak overnight on Thursday, Dec. 13, into Friday morning and if you are willing to stay up late you should be able to see a great show. NASA reports that the Geminids is a relatively young meteor shower, with the first sightings occurring in the 1830s with rates of about 20 per hour. Over time, the rate of visible meteors has increased and now viewers can expect to see 80 and 120 meteors per hour at its peak. Earthsky.org reports viewers can begin to watch the Geminids starting at 9 or 10 p.m. on Thursday. The peak will likely be between 1 to 3 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 14. That’s when the shower’s radiant point is highest in the sky as seen around the world. "With…
Thursday, November 15, 2012
The Leonid meteor shower will peak on Nov. 17 and Nov. 20.
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Thursday, November 15, 2012
Keep your eyes on the sky during the pre-dawn hours of Nov. 17-20, because that's when the famous Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak. 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 toAstronomy.com. Where are good areas to watch in your town? Tell us in the comment section below! 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 …
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Shooting stars will be flying early in the morning in Portsmouth. The Orionids meteor shower promises to be a show worth watching.
The offspring of Halley's Comet are about to put on quite a show in the skies of Portsmouth. Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet beginning Monday, Oct. 15, which will give us the benefit of the annual Orionids meteor shower—though you probably won't see much until a bit later. The shower should be at its peak the night of Saturday, Oct. 20, until just before dawn on Oct. 21. This year, the moon will be setting at approximately midnight, which will keep the sky darkened enough that—barring cloud cover—you should be able to see up to 15 meteors per hour. What makes this shower so cool? First of all, c'mon—it's a show of shooting stars. Also, though, there's no question about where to look for this one. Meteor …
Jim L
9:51 am on Friday, October 12, 2012
Thanks Sandy, use to watch this where the Condo's in Tiverton are, maybe this year i'll find another dark spot more ›