November 4/5, 2012, late night November 4 until dawn November 5 South Taurids
The meteoroid streams that feed the South (and North) Taurids are very spread out and dissipated. That means the Taurids are extremely long lasting (September 25 to November 25) but usually don’t offer more than about 7 meteors per hour. That’ll be true even on the South Taurids’ expected peak night of November 4 (before dawn November 5), 2012. The other Taurid shower – the North Taurids – should add a few more meteors to the mix, but the forecast calls for the North Taurid shower to be raining down the most meteors a week from now, or in the second weekend of November 2012. For the South Taurids, on November 4-5, you can start watching at mid-evening, or before the waning gibbous moon rises over your eastern horizon. While you’re out there, look for blazing planet Jupiter low in the east. It shines in front of the constellation Taurus, the part of the sky from which the meteors appear to radiate. The South Taurids are expected to produce the most meteors in the wee hours just after midnight on November 5. Remember, even a single bright meteor can make your night!
November 4/5, 2012, late night November 4 until dawn November 5 South Taurids
The meteoroid streams that feed the South (and North) Taurids are very spread out and dissipated. That means the Taurids are extremely long lasting (September 25 to November 25) but usually don’t offer more than about 7 meteors per hour. That’ll be true even on the South Taurids’ expected peak night of November 4 (before dawn November 5), 2012. The other Taurid shower – the North Taurids – should add a few more meteors to the mix, but the forecast calls for the North Taurid shower to be raining down the most meteors a week from now, or in the second weekend of November 2012. For the South Taurids, on November 4-5, you can start watching at mid-evening, or before the waning gibbous moon rises over your eastern horizon. While you’re out there, look for blazing planet Jupiter low in the east. It shines in front of the constellation Taurus, the part of the sky from which the meteors appear to radiate. The South Taurids are expected to produce the most meteors in the wee hours just after midnight on November 5. Remember, even a single bright meteor can make your night!
Tips for watching meteors
Most important: a dark sky. Here’s the first thing – the main thing – you need to know to become as proficient as the experts at watching meteors. That is, to watch meteors, you need a dark sky.
Know your dates and times. You also need to be looking on the right date, at the right time of night. Meteor showers occur over a range of dates, because they stem from Earth’s own movement through space. As we orbit the sun, we cross “meteor streams.” These streams of icy particles in space come from comets moving in orbit around the sun. Comets are fragile icy bodies that litter their orbits with debris. When this cometary debris enters our atmosphere, it vaporizes due to friction with the air. If moonlight or city lights don’t obscure the view, we on Earth see the falling, vaporizing particles as meteors.
What to bring. You can comfortably watch meteors from many places, assuming you have a dark sky: your back yard or deck, the hood of your car, the side of a road. If you want to bring along equipment to make yourself more comfortable, consider a blanket or reclining lawn chair, a thermos with a hot drink, binoculars for gazing along the pathway of the summer Milky Way. Be sure to dress warmly enough. Even the summer nights can be chilly, especially in the hours before dawn when the most meteors should be flying.
Are the predictions reliable? Although astronomers have tried to publish exact predictions in recent years, meteor showers remain notoriously unpredictable. Your best bet is to go outside at the times we suggest, and plan to spend at least an hour reclining comfortably while looking up at the sky.
In 2012, the full moon gets in the way of the May Eta Aquarids. Moon-free nights greet the April Lyrids, the November North Taurids and the December Geminids. Moonlight should not pose much of a problem for the October Draconids, October Orionids, November South Taurids and November Leonids. Some moon-free viewing time is in store for the January Quadrantids and July Delta Aquarids. Our almanac page provides links for access to the moonrise and moonset times in your sky.
Peak dates are derived from data published in the Observer’s Handbook by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and Guy Ottewell’s Astronomical Calendar.
- EarthSky
No comments:
Post a Comment