“First Meteor Shower of 2011 Could Dazzle Tonight - msnbc.com” plus 1 more |
| First Meteor Shower of 2011 Could Dazzle Tonight - msnbc.com Posted: 03 Jan 2011 01:12 PM PST The first meteor display of 2011 the annual Quadrantid meteor shower will hit its peak tonight and, weather permitting, could dazzle observers across the Northern Hemisphere, skywatchers say. The Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to peak at about 8 p.m. EST (5 p.m. PST, 0100 Jan. 4 GMT), with some forecasts of 100 meteors per hour at the height of the "shooting stars" display. The show will be best in parts of Europe and Asia but unfortunately peaks too soon for U.S. skywatchers to expect more than a handful of shooting stars per hour. As an added perk, the moon won't interfere with the view of the meteor shower because it is in its "new" phase, when it is passing between the Earth and sun and appears from Earth to be completely dark. "There won't be any annoying moonlight to spoil the fireworks display," said amateur astronomer Jane Houston Jones in a skywatching tips video released by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "This could be the best shower of the year." This Quadrantid meteor shower sky map shows where to look in the northeastern sky for the shooting star display. Quadrantid meteors up close Unlike other notable meteor showers, which have peak observing periods that can last days at a time, the most dramatic view of the Quadrantids lasts a few hours. That, combined with the fact that the meteors pass by during wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere when cold temperatures and other weather conditions can be obstacles sometimes makes the first meteor shower of the year difficult to observe. One piece of advice: Bring blankets and get comfy. You'll want to dress against the cold December night and sit in a comfortable chair if you plan to spend several hours searching for Quadrantid meteors. "In general, the higher your latitude the better the observing situation," advised Robert Lunsford, operations manager for the American Meteor Society, in a viewing guide. "Unfortunately, in higher latitudes the weather is usually cloudy this time of year. If not cloudy, the bitterly cold temperatures are a constant danger to the exposed observer." The meteor shower will appear to originate from the northeast corner of the constellation of Bootes, the Herdsman. If you're not familiar with the Bootes constellation, look instead for the more recognizable constellations of the Big Dipper and Little Dipper. The Quadrantids should appear to emanate from a point between and below the two star patterns. Astronomers suspect the meteor shower was created by a near-Earth asteroid called 2003 EH1, which could be the debris of a comet that broke apart. The Quadrantids got their name from a now-defunct constellation called the Quadrans Muralis (or "Mural Quadrant"; a quadrant is an astronomical instrument similar to the sextants used for navigation today). "What makes this year so special is that the moon is new on the night of the peak, so there will be no interference from moonlight," said Bill Cooke, an astronomer with NASAs Meteoroid Environment Office, according to the website Spaceweather.com. Don't miss it: Jan. 4 solar eclipse That new phase of the moon also sets up another skywatching event this time, during the day: a partial eclipse of the sun tomorrow (Jan. 4). Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the sun and Earth as seen by observers on the ground. When the moon and sun line up directly, it causes a total solar eclipse. But sometimes the moon obscures only part of the sun's disk, creating a partial solar eclipse. [ Photos: The Total Solar Eclipse of 2010 ] A partial solar eclipse is what will occur Tuesday. It will be best seen by skywatchers in Sweden, though observers elsewhere in Europe, the northern half of Africa and western Asia should also see the event if the weather allows. This Jan. 4 solar eclipse skywatching guide shows how observers can catch a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse. It is extremely important to remember never to look directly at the sun with binoculars or your unaided eye. Doing so can damage your eyes' retinas and cause blindness. The safest way to view a solar eclipse is to project the sun's image either through a pinhole or through binoculars or a telescope equipped with special filters. At no time should you look through the pinhole or binoculars or telescope at the sun. The Jan. 4 solar eclipse will be the first of four partial solar eclipses in 2011, with the others occurring in June, July and November, according to NASA's eclipse website. Two total lunar eclipses will also occur, in June and December, NASA officials said. You can follow SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik.
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| Quadrantid Meteor Shower and Solar Eclipse to Coincide On Tuesday - YAHOO! Posted: 02 Jan 2011 05:46 PM PST This Tuesday (Jan. 4) will be a busy day on the celestial calendar. Before sunrise, one of the most prolific displays of "shooting stars" will take place. For skywatchers in Europe or parts of Africa and Western Asia another great sky show awaits: a partial eclipse of the sun. But to catch the best views of these two sky shows – the first major skywatching events of 2011 – it's best to be prepared, and dress warmly. Here's a look at this week's skywatching bonanza, starting with the Quadrantid meteor shower. Quadrantid meteor shower returns Early each January, the Quadrantid meteor stream provides one of the most intense annual meteor displays, with a brief, sharp maximum lasting only a few hours. This Quadrantid meteor shower skywatching guide shows where and how to look in the northeastern sky to spot the shooting star display. The meteors actually radiate from the northeast corner of the constellation of Bootes, the Herdsman, so we might expect them to be called the "Bootids." But back in the late-18th century there was a constellation here called Quadrans Muralis, the "Mural or Wall Quadrant" (an astronomical instrument). It is long-obsolete star pattern, invented in 1795 by J.J. Lalande to commemorate the instrument used to observe the stars in his catalogue. Adolphe Quetelet of Brussels Observatory discovered the shower in the 1830's, and shortly afterward it was noted by several astronomers in Europe and America. So they were christened "Quadrantids" and even though the constellation from which these meteors appear to radiate no longer exists, the shower's original moniker continues to this day. Crumbs of a dead comet? At greatest activity, probably 50 to 100 shower members per hour should be seen. However, the Quadrantid influx is sharply peaked: six hours before and after maximum, these blue meteors appear at only a quarter of their highest rates. This means that the stream of particles is a narrow one – possibly derived relatively recently from a small comet. In fact, in 2003, astronomer Peter Jenniskens of NASA found a near-Earth asteroid (2003 EH1) that seemed like it was on the right orbit to be the source of the Quadrantid meteor shower. Some astronomers think that this asteroid is really a piece of an old, "extinct" comet; perhaps a comet that was recorded by Chinese, Korean, and Japanese observers during the years 1490-91. According to that theory, the comet broke apart and some of the pieces became the meteoroids that make up the Quadrantid stream. When and Where to Look In 2011 a strong display of Quadrantid meteors is likely for Europe and points east to central Asia. Maximum activity is expected at around 0100 GMT on Tuesday, Jan. 4 when the radiant of this shower – from where the meteors appear to emanate – is ascending the dark northeastern sky. With no moonlight to interfere, this might turn out to be one of the best meteor displays of the year. Morning twilight will not interfere until about 6 a.m. local time. What about for North America? At the time the shower is reaching its peak, it will be Monday evening, Jan. 3 on the other side of the Atlantic; 8 p.m. EST in the East and 5 p.m. PST (still twilight) in the West. The radiant will be positioned low near the north-northwest horizon. As a consequence of the low altitude, only a fraction of the 50 to 100 shower members will likely be seen. But those "Quads" that are seen, will likely be spectacular "earthgrazers" that skim across our upper atmosphere on long, majestic paths. By 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on Jan. 3, the radiant will be climbing in the northeast sky, but the meteor rates will be rapidly declining. East of the Mississippi, you might still count a respectable 20 or 25 per hour; west of the Mississippi, perhaps more like 5 to 15 per hour. And who knows? As meteor expert, Allistair McBeath has noted, some Quadrantid outbursts in the past have been several hours early or late. If the latter happens this year, it could lead to higher hourly rates for North America. If you do head out to look for meteors, remember to bundle up with blankets and a comfortable chair! The same rules apply as to what we suggested last month with the December Geminid meteor shower. Jan. 4 partial solar eclipse After viewing the spectacle of a fine meteor shower on Tuesday morning, skywatchers over Europe, the northern half of Africa and western Asia will then be treated to a bonus and – weather permitting – be able to enjoy the spectacle of a partial eclipse of the sun. The moon's outer shadow – called the penumbra, from where the partial eclipse will be visible – will scrape the northern part of the Earth. First, a note of caution: Be very, very careful about the precautions for eclipse viewing! Never look at even a tiny bit of the sun's disk without proper light filter. The safest way to view a solar eclipse is to project the sun's image either through a pinhole or through binoculars or a telescope (but at no time should you look through the pinhole or binoculars or telescope at the sun!) You'll get useful solar eclipse viewing safety tips here. Be sure to observe them! The Jan. 4 partial solar eclipse will first appear in Algeria, the second largest country on the African continent. The first contact of the penumbral shadow (where the sun rises with a barely perceptible nick in its southern edge) coincides with local sunrise a few hundred kilometers northeast of In Salah, an oasis town in central Algeria, at the heart of the Sahara Desert region of northern Africa. Ultimately, the shadow will envelop nearly all of Europe, the northern half of Africa, the Middle East, and southern Asia. Sweden has the best show The region of greatest eclipse, where the moon will hide 80 percent of the sun's disk, occurs at sunrise over northeastern Sweden, along the Gulf of Bothnia, near the city of Skellefteå. There, the early winter sun should appear to barely rise along the southern horizon, its top and center blocked at 9:51 a.m. Local Time by the moon. [Photos: The Total Solar Eclipse of 2010] From this spot on Earth, looking along the brow of our planet toward this U-shaped sun might convey to some a sensation of the moon's tubular shadow hurtling overhead and onward into space. Cities in Western Europe will also enjoy a sunrise eclipse, with the striking spectacle of a partially eclipsed sun emerging into view from beyond the east-southeast horizon. London will see 66.7 percent coverage at 8:12 a.m. Local Time; Madrid, 46.8 percent coverage at 8:52 a.m. Local Time; Paris, 64.9 percent coverage at 9:09 a.m. Local Time; and Oslo, 77.9 percent coverage at 9:35 a.m. Local Time in Norway. All times given here are for local standard time. It should be pointed out that we are providing values pertaining to the obscuration of the sun, by the moon, which refers to the total area of the sun's disk that is being covered. This is not to be confused with the magnitude of the eclipse, which refers to the fraction of the sun's diameter that is covered. NASA astronomer, Fred Espenak has calculated the GMT/UT observation conditons for 65 selected cities in Europe, Africa and Asia, which includes both the obscuration and magnitude values. You can see the entire city list by clicking here. The shadow sweeping eastward, leaves the Earth's surface, in the Eurasian country of Kazakhstan, to the north of Lake Balkhash about 4 hours and 21 minutes after it first touched down in Algeria. Good viewing to you – and no frustrating cloud cover! Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York. SPACE.com offers rich and compelling content about space science, travel and exploration as well as astronomy, technology, business news and more. 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