Meteor Showers

The next meteor shower is the January 2010 Quadrantids. Last year I was amazed by how active this meteor shower was. The Quadrantids can produce up to 120 meteors per hour and meteors appear bluish-white.  When observing the Quadrantids they seem to flicker as they streak across the sky at a startling speed of about 41 kilometers per second (or 92,000 mph).  Their activity almost seems jolly when they pop into view as if to say, “look here!” and then they quickly disappear.  This meteor shower began on December 28th and will continue to be active until January 12th.

Where to Look

(Bootes is Near the Big Dipper)

The Quadrantids Meteor Shower has a very short and focused peak that will occur in the morning hours of January 3rd.  As with most meteor showers they are best viewed in the morning hours before dawn and get their name from their radiant.  The radiant, an area where the meteors will appear to originate from is the constellation Bootes that was originally named Quadrans Muralis.  Quadrans Muralis was not added to the new list of eighty-eight modern constellations.  The name was changed in 1922 to Bootes but the name of the meteor shower, the Quadrantids, remained the same.

The Quadrantids are an interesting meteor shower for two reasons.  The first because most meteor showers are associated with a parent comet and second get their name or radiant from the constellation where they seem to originate. The parent body of the Quadrantids is a near-earth asteroid named 2003 EH1 and their radiant constellation name is Bootes. Some may argue that this shower’s parent is a piece of the comet C/1490 Y1 that fell apart almost 500 years ago. Until 2003 their origin was virtually unknown until scientists crunched a mathematical equation that turned their attention to the presumed source the asteroid 2003 EH1.

Last year this meteor shower was one of the more appealing meteor showers that I viewed but it only lasted for a short period of time and it was extremely cold in the morning when I observed. This year I hope it will deliver similar meteor activity but warmer temperatures . I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.  If you would like to take a look at this meteor shower, I suggest finding a safe, dark area and locate the constellation Bootes in the morning of January 3rd.  Unfortunately, this year the Quadrantids may be battling a waning gibbous Moon with 88% of the visible disk illuminated which usually means one will see fewer meteors.  However if this shower is half as strong as it was last year, it is certainly worth a look.  Last year I witnessed about 1 to 3 meteors a minute or about 80 to 120 an hour.  I make no guarantee that it will be this strong, as this year’s conditions are much different but, you will only know if you take a look.  Your questions and comments are welcome.

If you enjoyed my blog and found this information useful, why not buy me a cup of coffee? I can use them during the morning on January 3rd while watching the Quadrantids!

Keep your head up.

- Meteor Mark
Meteor Shower January 2010

Ursids Radiant - December 22nd

The Minor meteor shower, the Ursids is happening right now. The phase of the Moon on December 22nd in the morning during the peak of the Ursids Meteor Shower will be a waxing crescent with 31% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated. This is decent news for this shower as there will be less moonlight in the sky. The Ursids is a minor meteor shower so viewers shouldn’t expect too much activity. Each year in December, the comet 8P/Tuttle’s dust particles and debris are responsible for producing this event. In 2008, this comet passed pretty close to Earth so maybe we’ll see a little more activity.

Last year I was hoping that this would increase activity, but it didn’t. Whether the comet is close or not, occasionally this meteor shower has had high outbursts. I think this year a few more meteors can be added to the zenith hourly rate (ZHR) which is usually about ten or so. Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere get the best views of this meteor shower because the radiant is near Ursa Minor that is also known as the “Little Dipper”. Ursa Minor also contains Polaris the North Star.

Only the most hard-core meteor enthusiasts should be out looking at this meteor shower, especially if it’s cold. If you do, I suggest you dress warmly and bring some hot chocolate out with you to sip. I’ll be out observing, because one never knows what could happen when it comes to meteor showers. In the year 2000 there were reports of Ursids meteor outbursts up to an equivalent of 90 meteors per hour! Remember I’m not saying this will happen, but you won’t know unless you gaze at the morning skies.

Your comments and questions are always welcome. If you’ve enjoyed my blog, how about treating me to a cup of coffee? I’ll need them in the morning to stay warm and alert. Keep your head up!

- Meteor Mark

Geminids Meteor Shower

The next meteor shower is the Geminids and it’s strongest right now. So why are you reading my blog?  The reason could be that you probably heard all the buzz about the Perseids Meteor Shower in August and the Leonids Meteor of November, but during December the Geminids Meteor Shower is King.

Some may say that the Perseids Meteor Shower was the best meteor shower of the year, I suppose the reason is that the weather is generally better for people in the northern hemisphere.  The Geminids meteor shower is usually one of the most reliable meteor showers of the year and possibly the best of 2009.  During the Geminids peak that is occurring now until the morning hours of December 14th I have great news, the Moon will be in a waning crescent phase, which means that it will shed little light into the sky and is less likely to hamper your view.  A common misconception about meteor showers is that they are better seen at night, when in fact most showers are better seen in the morning hours.  This shower should be strongest in the morning of December 14th closest to 05:00 Universal Time (you can check the meteor glossary on this site).  Please don’t expect to see hundreds of meteors streaking everywhere all over the sky, but there is a chance to see 1 or 2 meteors per minute.  Meteor viewing is not an exact science; there is no perfectly accurate time when a meteor shower will be strongest.  So the more time that one spends viewing the more opportunity there is to see meteors.  In order to view lots of meteors a person should go to a safe dark area away from man-made lights with a view of as much sky as possible and look at the meteor shower’s radiant, in this case the constellation Gemini. A meteor shower’s radiant also gives the event its name; the Geminids obviously are derived from Gemini.

Use Orion to Locate Gemini

Meteor viewers can locate Gemini by looking for the more familiar and larger constellation Orion.  Gemini lies “above” Orion’s Club as illustrated in the above picture.   Meteors from this shower will streak through the sky in a split second because they enter the Earth’s atmosphere at more than 80,000 miles per hour.  Keep in mind meteors can be seen anywhere in the sky so my best advice is look for the constellation Orion, stay warm, and be patient.  If you’ve enjoyed the information on this site, how about treating me to a cup of coffee? I’ll need as many as I can get to stay alert and keep me awake whilst watching this meteor shower and more importantly it’s cold here!  Keep your head up!

- Meteor Mark

Geminids Meteor Shower

The Geminids Meteor Shower is similar to other meteor showers in that it takes its name from the constellation from where it seems to originate.  However most meteor showers that I discuss during the year are the result of a comet’s dust particles or meteoroids that follow the comet’s orbit around our Sun and hit Earth’s atmosphere at the same time each year.

The Geminids Meteor Shower is a distinctive meteor shower because it is linked to an asteroid not a comet.  The 3200 Phaethon – asteroid or comet?  Which is it?  Some astronomers would argue that the entity is actually a comet in its final stages of life and some would say it is just an asteroid.

Whether 3200 Phaethon is described as an asteroid or a comet, the Geminids Meteor Shower is known as one of the most reliable meteor showers of the year besides the Perseids. If viewing conditions were perfect, one could view up to 120 visible meteors per hour during the peak of this shower. There is evidence to show that this meteor shower is actually getting stronger and stronger every year since it was first documented over 150 years ago.

The Geminids Meteor Shower begins December 7th and continues until December 17th. Meteor showers are generally best seen in the early morning hours before dawn and can appear anywhere in the sky. The meteors in this shower appear to originate from their radiant within the constellation Gemini, thus giving the shower its name, Geminids. In the morning hours of December 14th viewers will be treated to the shower’s strongest display under an almost moonless sky. As compared to other meteors, Geminids are known to generate golden medium speed streaks of light.

Here are the Meteor Showers we will be discussing in December:

Dec Phoenicids Meteor Shower
Puppid/Velids Meteor Shower
Monocerotids Meteor Shower
σ-Hydrids Meteor Shower
Geminids Meteor Shower
Ursids Meteor Shower
Coma Berenicids Meteor Shower

Your questions and comments are always welcome. Join the mailing list, bookmark the site as I promise to keep you up to date on any developments for all meteor showers throughout December and next year.

If you’ve enjoyed the information on this site, how about treating me to a cup of coffee? I’ll need as many a I can get to stay alert and keep me awake whilst watching all of the December meteor showers in the early morning hours.  Keep your head up!

- Meteor Mark