"Spectacular" Double Meteor Shower This Week

National Geographic News ^ | July 25, 2011 | Andrew Fazekas

[SunkenCiv]

Delta Aquarids, Perseids to create one of the best sky shows of the year...

One of the best shooting star events of the year is the annual August Perseid meteor shower. (See Perseids pictures.) However this year's peak, on August 12, happens to coincide with a bright full moon—drastically cutting down the number of meteors visible to the naked eye.

Yet while the main event might be blocked out by the blinding moonlight, the opening act promises to be much better.

This year the lesser known Delta Aquarid meteor shower is expected to peak on Friday night, when the Delta Aquarids' more productive Perseid cousin is just starting to ramp up.

Together the showers will produce anywhere between 15 and 30 shooting stars per hour under clear, dark skies...

Like most meteor showers, the Delta Aquarids and Perseids are both caused by Earth's atmosphere slamming into clouds of sand grain-size particles shed by orbiting comets. Each particle enters the atmosphere at speeds in excess of 93,200 miles (150,000 kilometers) an hour, only to burn up in a fleeting streak of light.

On average, the Perseids begin falling at a rate of around five meteors per hour. They're visible for a couple of weeks before mid-August, when they peak at hourly rates of 60 to 120 meteors.

[SunkenCiv]

A Perseid meteor appears to strike the peak of Mount Rainier, Washington, in 2010. [Photograph by Siddhartha Saha, Your Shot]

[Sacajaweau]

And they say there is no God??

This is HIS work. Awesome!!

[SunkenCiv]

I have someone to thank, but I don't know who it is.

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[SunkenCiv]

I have someone to thank, but I don’t know who it is. Another “extra extra” topic.

[Roccus]

Early Easter Sunday morning 1986 I was in the sand at Jones Beach, LI, NY to view Haley's comet. To block the glare coming off the sand of a partial, setting moon, I had set up my small telescope in the shadow of a dune. A small group had gathered around to look through my scope. Once Haley's was no longer in view,(it wasn't much to see, really) I was giving a meager tour of the universe for these folks. As morning twilight started, a procession of Greek Orthodox passed by being led by a crucifer. One of the women there wondered what that was about and I remarked that it was an Easter Sunrise service. She said, “Oh, then I have to go to Church today.” With a grand gesture I swept my arm over my head at the vast array and said, “I think we're already there.”
After gazing up for a few moments, she looked at me, smiled and said, "I see what you mean."

[married21]

Thanks for mentioning this. My family will be flying on a red eye on 8/12. I think we should have a great time seeing the meteor shower out the windows of the plane.

[Conan the Librarian]

Peak hourly rate on Perseids is more like 120 or so. Expect to see more!

Delta ‘A’s aren’t as strong.

With the Moon being full, forget about it anyway.

[gargoyle]

...Thanks fer the post!!!

[ApplegateRanch]

Thanks, SC!

Oddly, Tony Phillips hasn't mentioned the D-Aquarids on Spaceweather. Too busy hyping rather anemic sunspot activity, and going ape over pictures of the ISS transiting the sun, I guess.

I'm not sure if he's losing interest in maintaining the site, or what; but it is disheartening to check it every night, only to see the pics/stories haven't been changed for 2-3 days at a time; or that the photo galleries have gone a week or two without updating, even though there were relevant pictures posted on the main page.

[TheOldLady]

[SunkenCiv]

Thank you and you’re welcome, all. :’)

[dfwgator]

Double Meteor Shower This Week

What does this MEAN?!?!?!

[SunkenCiv]

Doomed.

[JoeProBono]

[Quix]

You do great work, as always.

LUB

Please email me.

[Future Snake Eater]

Double meteor shower? What does it mean!?