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Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The 2025 Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower is upon us! Here's what you need to know
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. peak on July 29. The Southern Delta Aquariid shower is active from July 18 to Aug. 12, as Earth passes through a trail of ancient debris that is suspected to have been shed by the 4-mile-wide (6.4 km) comet 96P Machholz. When this debris hits Earth's atmosphere, the friction created by air molecules causes the particles to ignite, creating the visible streaks we see in the sky. The shower is at its strongest in the week surrounding its peak on July 29, at which time viewers could spot up to eight faint meteors per hour, according to NASA. Shooting stars associated with the shower will appear to emanate from a patch of sky — known as a radiant — in the constellation Aquarius, close to the bright star Delta Aquarii, from which the annual event gets its name. When is the best time to see the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower? Stargazers will have their best chance of spotting a Southern Delta Aquariid in the early morning hours in the week surrounding July 29, according to the American Meteor Association. Around that time, the radiant is at its highest in the southern sky and the waxing crescent moon will be hidden well below the horizon, providing a dark sky in which to hunt for the elusive shooting stars. As its name suggests, the Southern Delta Aquariids will be most visible to stargazers situated in the Southern Hemisphere, where the radiant is higher in the post-sunset sky. However, the shower will still be visible to those north of the equator, albeit at a lower hourly rate. To maximize your chances of catching a Southern Delta Aquariid, first locate the bright star Delta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius above the southern horizon (or use a stargazing app to help you find it). Then, find a patch of sky 40 degrees away from the radiant in the direction of the local zenith, which is the point directly above your head. Remember: the width of your outstretched fist from your thumb to the outside of your little finger accounts for around 10 degrees in the night sky. The shooting stars seen here will have longer trails compared to those spotted closer to the radiant! You'll have a much better chance of spotting one of the faint shooting stars if you head away from city lights and allow your eyes 30 minutes to adapt to the darkness. After that, it's a case of lying back — ideally on a deckchair, and losing yourself in the night sky. If you see a bright meteor streak across the sky from the north, you may well have spotted a member of the Perseid meteor shower, which has been active since mid-July. Editor's Note: If you capture a picture of a meteor and want to share it with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@ Solve the daily Crossword
CNET
27-06-2025
- Science
- CNET
Look Up on Friday Night and You Just Might See the Bootids Meteor Shower
Earth gets pelted by meteors all the time, but only a few showers are large enough to warrant names. Bootids is one such meteor shower, and it generally occurs in June every year as the Earth moves through the tail of the 7P/Pons-Winnecke comet. For 2025, the best night to catch a potential glimpse of Bootids is this Friday, June 27. It isn't an easy meteor shower to spot. Its "radiant" -- the point in the sky from which the meteor shower appears to originate -- is in the constellation Boötes (hence the shower's name), which means herdsman or ox-driver in ancient Greek. Per Stellarium's sky map, Boötes will be in the western sky close to the horizon all Friday evening before dipping below the horizon at sunrise. This applies to the entire continental US, so there aren't any special instructions based on location. The reason viewers will need a little luck to see it is twofold. For starters, the constellation is pretty low on the horizon, which will make it much harder for anyone to see anything if they're in a well-lit city or suburb. Secondly, The American Meteor Association classifies Bootids as a Class III meteor shower. That means it may light up the sky with plenty of meteors or average less than one per day, even at its peak. We won't know how strong this year's Bootids will be until Saturday after the peak has passed. One meteor hit a Georgia house Despite its finicky nature, the shower did produce an incident here on Earth. On Thursday, a meteor entered Earth's atmosphere and mostly burned up, but did leave a golf ball-sized hole in a Georgia family's home. Observers reported seeing the meteor as far away as Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina. Here's an excellent video showing the Georgia meteor that looks like something out of War of the Worlds. With Bootids at its peak, there is an increased risk of such an event occurring again. Tips for watching the Bootids meteor shower Much like real estate, it's all about location, location, location. City dwellers and suburbanites will have the hardest time seeing a shooting star since the light pollution of larger populated areas can get in the way of seeing dimmer meteors. For context, the Perseids meteor shower can spit out upwards of 100 meteors per hour, but in the city, you may see one to two per hour, if any at all. The best tip is getting out of the city as far as you're willing to go. The further out you go, the less light pollution will hinder your progress and the more meteors that will be visible. If you can swing it, take a pair of binoculars as well. Telescopes won't be necessary as they will restrict your view of the open sky too much, which may cause you to miss meteors. Other than that, the key is patience. With inconsistent showers like Bootids, it may be a consistent shower all night or bursts of activity. Finally, it's best to temper expectations. You may go home not seeing anything at all, especially if the weather is not on your side.
CNET
27-06-2025
- Science
- CNET
Look Up Friday Night, You Just Might See the Bootids Meteor Shower
Earth gets pelted by meteors all the time, but only a few showers are large enough to warrant names. Bootids is one such meteor shower that generally occurs in June every year as the Earth moves through the tail of the 7)/Pons-Winnecke comet. For 2025, the best night to catch a potential glimpse of Bootids is this Friday, June 27. It's not an easy meteor shower to spot. Its radiant — the point in the sky from which the meteor shower appears to originate — is in the constellation Boötes, hence the shower's name, which itself means herdsman or ox-driver in ancient Greek. Per Stellarium's sky map, Boötes will be in the western sky close to the horizon all Friday evening before dipping below the horizon at sunset. This applies to the entire continental US, so there aren't any special instructions based on location. The reason viewers will need a little luck to see it is twofold. For starters, the constellation is pretty low on the horizon, which will make it much harder for anyone to see anything if they're in a well-lit city or suburb. Secondly, The American Meteor Association classifies Bootids as a Class III meteor shower. That means it may light up the sky with plenty of meteors or average less than one per day, even at its peak. We won't know how strong this year's Bootids will be until Saturday after the peak has passed. Despite its finicky nature, the shower did produce an incident here on Earth. Early Friday, a meteor entered Earth's atmosphere and mostly burned up, but did leave a golf ball-sized hole in a Georgia family's home. Observers reported seeing the meteor as far away as Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina. Here's an excellent video showing the Georgia meteor that looks like something out of War of the Worlds. With Bootids at its peak, there is an increased risk of such an event occurring again. Tips for watching the Bootids meteor shower Much like real estate, it's all about location, location, location. City dwellers and suburbanites will have the hardest time seeing a shooting star since the light pollution of larger populated areas can get in the way of seeing dimmer meteors. For context, the Perseids meteor shower can spit out upwards of 100 meteors per hour, but in the city, you may see one to two per hour, if any at all. The best tip is getting out of the city as far as you're willing to go. The further out you go, the less light pollution will hinder your progress and the more meteors that will be visible. If you can swing it, take a pair of binoculars as well. Telescopes won't be necessary as they will restrict your view of the open sky too much, which may cause you to miss meteors. Other than that, the key is patience. With inconsistent showers like Bootids, it may be a consistent shower all night or bursts of activity. Finally, it's best to temper expectations. You may go home not seeing anything at all, especially if the weather is not on your side.
