JPL: 2010 Major Meteor Showers

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bystander
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JPL: 2010 Major Meteor Showers

Post by bystander » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:39 am

2010 Major Meteor Showers
NASA JPL 2010-119 - 2010 Apr 07
  • Lyrids
    Comet of origin: C/1861 G1 Thatcher
    Radiant: constellation Lyra -- which rises in the northeast at about 10 p.m.
    Active: April 16-25
    Peak Activity: Early Morning April 22
    Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 15 meteors per hour
    Time of optimal viewing: On the night of expected peak activity (April 22) a moon between half and full will set between 1 and 2 a.m. for most of the northern hemisphere, leaving a dark sky until dawn. Viewers in the southern hemisphere will receive a smattering of Lyrid meteors compared to viewers north of the equator.
    Meteor Velocity: Lyrid meteors hit the atmosphere at a moderate speed of 48 kilometers (30 miles) per second. They often produce luminous trains of dust that can be observed for several seconds.

    Eta Aquarids
    Comet of origin: 1P Halley
    Radiant: constellation Aquarius
    Active: April 28-May 21
    Peak Activity: Early morning May 6
    Peak Activity Meteor Count: Up to approximately 60 meteors per hour (southern hemisphere), 15 meteors per hour (northern hemisphere). A less-than-half-full moon is expected to severely hamper viewing
    Time of optimal viewing: Just before dawn
    Meteor Velocity: 67 kilometers (42 miles) per second

    Delta Aquarids
    Comet of origin: unknown
    Radiant: constellation Aquarius
    Active: July 14-Aug. 18
    Peak Activity: No definite peak, but nights surrounding July 30 may be best
    Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 15 meteors per hour (northern hemisphere). Unfortunately, an almost-full moon will obscure many a meteor during this year's peak.
    Time of optimal viewing: An hour or two before dawn. Meteor watchers in the southern hemisphere and in the northern hemisphere's tropical latitudes will enjoy the best views.
    Meteor Velocity: 42 kilometers (26 miles) per second

    Perseids
    Comet of origin: 109P/Swift-Tuttle
    Radiant: constellation Perseus
    Active: Perseids begin to rise early August.
    Peak Activity: Night of Aug. 12-13
    Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 50 meteors per hour
    Time of optimal viewing: Crescent moon will set early in the evening, allowing for dark skies all the way up until peak viewing just before dawn
    Meteor Velocity: 61 kilometers (38 miles) per second
    Note: The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most consistent performers and considered by many as this year's best shower. The meteors they produce are among the brightest of all meteor showers.

    Orionids
    Comet of origin: 1P/Halley
    Radiant: just to the north of constellation Orion's bright star Betelgeuse.
    Active: Oct. 4-Nov. 14
    Peak Activity: Night of Oct. 22, but the light reflecting off an almost-full moon makes 2010 a less-than-spectacular year for one of Mother Nature's most spectacular showers.
    Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 15 meteors per hour, if the sky is dark
    Time of optimal viewing: An hour or two before dawn
    Meteor Velocity: 68 kilometers (42 miles) per second
    Note: With the second-fastest entry velocity of the annual meteor showers, meteors from the Orionids produce yellow and green colors and have been known to produce an odd fireball from time to time.

    Leonids
    Comet of origin: 55P/Tempel-Tuttle
    Radiant: constellation Leo
    Active: Nov. 7-28
    Peak Activity: Night of Nov. 17-18
    Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 15 per hour
    Time of optimal viewing: A half-full moon sets after midnight, allowing for a dark sky. Best viewing time will be just before dawn.
    Meteor Velocity: 71 kilometers (44 miles) per second
    Note: The Leonids have not only produced some of the best meteor showers in history, but have sometimes achieved the status of meteor storm. During a Leonid meteor storm, many thousands of meteors per hour can shoot across the sky. Scientists believe these storms recur in cycles of about 33 years, though the reason is unknown. The last documented Leonid meteor storm occurred in 2002.

    Geminids
    Comet of origin: 3200 Phaethon
    Radiant: constellation Gemini
    Active: Dec. 4-16
    Peak Activity: Night of Dec 13 -14
    Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 50 meteors per hour
    Time of optimal viewing: 2 a.m.
    Meteor Velocity: 35 kilometers (22 miles) per second
    Note: Generally, the Geminids or August's Perseids provide the best meteor shower show of the year. Geminids are usually considered the best opportunity for younger viewers because the show gets going around 9 or 10 p.m. Unfortunately the moon does not set until after midnight this year, making for the possibility of drooping eyelids from the pre-teen set.
Shooting for Shooting Stars
NASA JPL 2010-118 - 2010 Apr 07

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Chris Peterson
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Re: JPL: 2010 Major Meteor Showers

Post by Chris Peterson » Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:03 am

Note: The Leonids have not only produced some of the best meteor showers in history, but have sometimes achieved the status of meteor storm. During a Leonid meteor storm, many thousands of meteors per hour can shoot across the sky. Scientists believe these storms recur in cycles of about 33 years, though the reason is unknown. The last documented Leonid meteor storm occurred in 2002.
That's a very peculiar assessment. There is no uncertainty around the reason that high Leonid activity occurs on a 33 year cycle: it is because that is the period of Comet Tempel-Tuttle, the parent body of the shower. In the years immediately around perihelion (last in 1998) the debris trail is dense when the Earth passes through it, producing intense activity.
Chris

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