“Perseid Meteor Shower Should Provide Great Show Over Oklahoma - News On 6” plus 3 more |
- Perseid Meteor Shower Should Provide Great Show Over Oklahoma - News On 6
- Meteor shower over Alabama heralded by large fireball - The Christian Science Monitor
- Look Up! Rare 3-Planet Sky Triangle Plus Stellar Meteor Shower - msnbc.com
- Perseid meteor shower spectacle - Examiner
| Perseid Meteor Shower Should Provide Great Show Over Oklahoma - News On 6 Posted: 10 Aug 2010 02:42 PM PDT NewsOn6.com TULSA, OK -- Oklahoma's cloud-free weather this week will have an interesting side effect; an unobstructed view of the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids got their name from the point in the sky in which they appear, which lies in the constellation Perseus. The meteors are actually debris from the tail of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet swings by the earth every 130 years, but the earth passes through the tail once a year. A filament of dust was pulled off the comet's debris stream in 1862 and increases the rate of meteors. News On 6 meteorologist Nick Bender says viewing conditions in Oklahoma this year should be almost perfect, much better than last year. "Great weather conditions, clear skies," said Bender. "There was a big moon out there last year. This year there is a crescent moon, really great viewing conditions." The shower is visible beginning in mid-July each year, with the peak hitting between August 9th and 14th, depending on the particular location of the stream. Bender says the peak this year in Oklahoma should be Thursday night, with the rate hitting 100 meteors per hour. Bender says the meteor shower is just one fascinating astronomical event happening in Oklahoma's skies this week. Venus, Mars and Saturn are clearly visible together in the west-southwest ski after sunset, with Mercury to the lower right. The Perseids, on the other hand, will originate in the northeastern sky. Many of the meteors will leave long streaks across the sky. Bender says he loves astronomy and is thrilled to be talking about something other than the heat for a change. "If it's up in the air we have to take an interest in it. Anything that doesn't deal with the heat."
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| Meteor shower over Alabama heralded by large fireball - The Christian Science Monitor Posted: 10 Aug 2010 03:11 PM PDT Meteor shower enthusiasts will be able to enjoy this year's Perseids this week, which will peak on the night of August 12. The Perseid meteor shower is peaking this week and announced its annual August arrival with a bright fireball over Alabama, NASA officials say. Skip to next paragraphA small 1-inch (2.5-cm) wide meteor caused the fireball when it met a fiery demise Aug. 3 while streaking through Earth's atmosphere, according to officials at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The fireball was observed by skywatching cameras operated by the space center. [Perseid meteor shower fireball photo.] "It's a very good start to this year's Perseid meteor shower, which will peak on the night of Aug. 12-13 between midnight and dawn," explained NASA spokesperson Janet Anderson in a statement from the center. IN PICTURES: Meteor showers The fireball occurred at about 9:56 p.m. local time and was low in the sky when it entered Earth's atmosphere about 70 miles (112.6 km) above the town of Paint Rock. It appeared about 9.5 degrees above the horizon. For comparison, your fist held at arm's length is equal to roughly 10 degrees of the night sky. NASA observations found the meteor to be hurtling through the atmosphere at a phenomenal 134,000 mph (215,652 kph). "At such a tremendous velocity, the meteor cut a path some 65 miles [104.6 km] long, finally burning up 56 miles [90 km] above Macay Lake, just northeast of the town of Warrior," Anderson wrote. "The meteor was about six times brighter than the planet Venus and would be classified as a fireball by meteor scientists." Because of its relatively low approach in the sky and its long, shallow path, the meteor qualified as a so-called Earth-grazing meteor, NASA officials said. Earth-grazing meteors are space rocks that enter the Earth's atmosphere at a low angle, from the point of view of a given skywatcher, and appear to scoot slowly and dramatically along the horizon. The Perseid meteor shower is an annual event that occurs in mid-August when Earth passes close to the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. Material left behind by the comet rams into the Earth's atmosphere during the pass at about 37 miles per second (60 km/second), creating a regular show of "shooting stars" that has become known as the Perseid meteor shower. Comet Swift-Tuttle was discovered in 1862 and most recently observed in 1992. It takes about 130 years to orbit the sun. (This SPACE.com Perseid meteor shower viewing guide shows how to observe the event. This sky map shows where to look to see the meteor shower.) SPACE.com skywatching columnist Joe Rao has said the 2010 Perseid meteor shower promises to be one to remember for skywatchers with clear skies. Under good conditions, skywatchers could see about one meteor per minute depending on observing conditions, he said in a recent column. "The August Perseids are among the strongest of the readily observed annual meteor showers, and at maximum activity nominally yields 90 to 100 meteors per hour," Rao explained. "Anyone in a city or near bright suburban lights will see far fewer." IN PICTURES: Meteor showers Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Look Up! Rare 3-Planet Sky Triangle Plus Stellar Meteor Shower - msnbc.com Posted: 08 Aug 2010 01:55 PM PDT The next few nights offer two spectacular cosmic views that anyone can enjoy. This weekend marks the peak of a beautiful alignment of the planets Venus, Mars and Saturn in the evening sky. This impressive gathering comes ahead of the annual Perseid meteor shower, a shooting star fest that will be at its best Aug. 11 to 13. About an hour after sunset, anyone with a clear and open view of the west-northwest horizon should be able to spot the triangle of three planets shining low in the west. This graphic shows where to look to spot the planetary triangle on Aug. 8. "These three planets are destined to crowd into a relatively small area of the sky, making for a very distinctive and eye-catching formation that is sure to thrill most sky watchers," said Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist. Venus, the famed "Evening Star," will shine brightest in the sky, with Mars and Saturn appearing fainter. You can see them together any evening now through the meteor shower. "So while Venus should be more than bright enough to see with the unaided eye in the fading twilight glow, Saturn and Mars will likely be a bit more difficult," Rao said. "Indeed, although Saturn and Mars are of first magnitude, they appear only about 1/150th as bright as Venus!" Rao recommends also using binoculars to scan the sky for the planetary alignment, particularly if the sky is hazy. People under dark skies in rural locations will have no trouble spotting the trio. On the evening of Aug. 12, the three planets will hang together in the western sky before disappearing below the horizon well after sunset. The planets will hang together in the western sky until 10 pm or so, according to NASA. But, the show will go on, when the Perseid meteor shower begins. The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. Every 133 years the comet swings through the inner solar system and leaves behind a trail of debris. Earth passes through these trails each August. When the comet bits enter our atmosphere, they vaporize, creating the meteors. [ Top 10 Perseid Meteor Shower Facts ] Weather permitting, skywatchers can catch these " shooting stars " anywhere, but the best views are under dark skies, away from urban and suburban lights, Rao said. "The best time to watch for meteors will be from the late-night hours of Wednesday, Aug. 11 on through the predawn hours of Aug. 13 two full nights and early mornings," he said. "Patient skywatchers with good conditions could see up to 60 shooting stars an hour or more." © 2010 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com. Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Perseid meteor shower spectacle - Examiner Posted: 06 Aug 2010 02:04 PM PDT It's August and the garden is giving all it can—a reward for the hard work put in. Sometimes, it seems that between the weeding, watering, pruning, and pest management, the fates have conspired to keep you busy and only when the planets align and the Earth passes through the tail of a comet will you get a break. Well, you can thank your lucky stars because, on August 12th, three planets will align and the Earth will pass through the center of the Comet Swift-Tuttle's trail. Best of all, because the moon will only be a thin sliver and will set early, it can be seen with the naked eye. It will be a singular night. At sundown, Venus, Saturn, Mars, and the waxing crescent moon will cluster within a 5-degree radius, according to NASA. By roughly 10pm, the planets and the moon will set and the fabulous Perseid meteor shower will begin. Streaks of falling debris from the trail of the Comet Swift-Tuttle will fill the sky until dawn. The yearly spray of shooting stars, with an intensity of up to 50-60 streaks per hour, seems to come from the constellation Perseus, seen best here in the Northeast. Two state parks within driving distance of Reading have planned events related to the meteor shower. The Perseid Meteor Shower Family Campout, located in the Giving Pond Recreation Area of Delaware Canal State Park, will start at 8pm and will last until 8am, depending on the weather. The cost is $5 per person, which goes to the park's Environmental Education programs. Registration is required and the program will be canceled in the event of overcast or rainy conditions. For more information and directions, see their website. Bucks-Mont Astronomical Association is holding a StartWatch event at Nockamixon State Park in Quakertown, PA on August 13th, from 9-11pm. Admission is free to look at the aligned planets, the moon, and distant stars and nebulae through their powerful telescopes, as well as get a tour of the constellations and advise from the amateur astronomers. While the meteor shower is best seen in the early hours of August 13th, some of the meteors should be present during the StarWatch event. For more information and directions, see their website. They also recommend calling their information line at (215) 579 9973 before coming, in case the event is cancelled due to inclement weather. For more information on the Perseid and other meteor showers, please see the following websites: Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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