Latest news with #Boötes
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.
The Citizen
27-06-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Bootid Meteor Shower: How to see ‘Shooting Stars' tonight
Pretoria skywatchers, get ready — the Bootid meteor shower is expected to peak tonight, and South Africans might be in for a treat just after sunset. Although the June Bootids are known for being unpredictable — with anything from a few to over 100 meteors per hour — the timing works in our favour this year. The best chance to spot 'shooting stars' will be after sunset, once the sky darkens over Gauteng. According to astronomers, the radiant point of the shower lies in the constellation Boötes, which will be high in the western sky just as twilight fades. To find it, look between the bright orange star Arcturus (easily visible in the evening sky) and Alkaid, the star at the end of the Big Dipper's handle. The meteor shower technically peaks around 07:00 SAST on Saturday morning, but with Boötes high overhead on Friday night, your best shot at seeing meteors in South Africa will be from 7pm onwards — especially in dark areas away from city lights. Here are some tips for viewing it tonight: When to watch: Friday night, June, 27, just after 7pm Where to look: High in the western sky, near the bright star Arcturus What to expect: The Bootids are unpredictable — you may see just a few, or a dramatic burst of meteors. So grab a blanket, head somewhere dark, and keep your eyes on the sky — Pretoria might just get lucky with a rare cosmic display this weekend. Also read: Celeste and her dog Shadow found safe Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
How To See The Bootid Meteor Shower This Friday Night
The Bootid meteor shower reaches its peak on Friday, June 27, 2025. As twilight fades on Friday, June 27, skywatchers may see 'shooting stars' in the night sky as the Bootid meteor shower reaches its peak. A highly variable display, the exact number visible is unknown and could range from just a few per hour to as many as a hundred, according to the BBC. That is no guarantee of seeing shooting stars, but what it lacks in predictability, it makes up for in convenience, with the best potential views possible as soon as it gets dark. Here's everything you need to know about the peak of the Bootid meteor shower this Friday. Meteor Shower: Where And When to Look The best times to catch the Bootid meteor shower are a couple of hours before dawn and after sunset on June 27. The actual peak of the Bootid meteor shower will take place around 07:00 EDT, so the best displays might be seen before dawn on June 27, according to However, the source constellation — known as its radiant point — is the constellation Boötes the Herdsman, which is at its highest in the sky as day turns to night. As dusk turns to night on June 27, the shower is likely to produce its most impressive displays. The exact location of the radiant point is between the bright star Arcturus — the brightest in Boötes — and the star Alkaid at the end of the handle of the Big Dipper, according to the International Meteor Organization. They'll be easy to find high in the western sky. How to find Arcturus and Bootes in the night sky. Meteor Shower: What You'll See In addition to having two opportunities to view the Bootid meteor shower, its timing is favorable. With a new moon earlier this week, the pre-dawn and post-sunset hours are free from strong moonlight. However, if you head outside before it gets dark — about 45 minutes after sunset — and look to the west-northwest, you'll see a 9%-lit crescent moon with the planet Mercury to its lower right. The cause of the Bootid meteor shower is dust and debris left in the inner solar system by comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke, a near-Earth short-period comet that orbits the sun every six years. It will next loop around the sun in August 2027. About 3.2 miles (5.2 kilometers) in diameter, according to NASA, it was first discovered in 1819. Meteor Shower: Observing Tips Since the Bootid meteor shower is so unpredictable, it's best to treat June 27 as merely a great night to go stargazing if the skies are clear, with shooting stars a bonus. A location with an unobstructed view — free from buildings, trees, or hills — is key. You don't need any equipment, just your naked eyes (binoculars or telescopes will significantly reduce your chance of seeing any shooting stars). Sunday, June 29: Moon And Mars In Conjunction What's Next In The Night Sky There's more going on this week than just a meteor shower. After sunset on Saturday, June 28, a 16%-lit crescent moon will be aligned with the bright star Regulus in Leo and the planet Mars. Come back on Sunday, June 29, and you'll see one of the sky highlights of June 2025 — a 24%-lit crescent moon and Mars just a fifth of a degree apart. For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wyoming Skies: June brings summer solstice and constellations in every direction
June 20, 2025, brings us the summer solstice. Supposedly, that means warmer weather has finally arrived in Wyoming. This month, if you go out after it gets dark, you will see some wonderful stars and constellations in every direction. If you face north you will see a 'W' above the northern horizon; those five stars are the constellation Cassiopeia. The Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor, is halfway above the northern horizon. And almost overhead you can see the Big Dipper, the most well-known group of stars in Ursa Major. If you follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper you'll run into the brilliant star Arcturus. Arcturus marks the bottom of Boötes, a constellation that looks like a kite or ice cream cone. If you continue the arc from the handle of the Big Dipper, you'll hit another bright star, that is Spica in the constellation Virgo. And follow that curve to Corvus, a quadrilateral-shape group of stars. Facing west you'll see the twin stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, above the horizon. They'll slip toward the horizon more each day. And higher in the sky, you can see the spring constellation of Leo. It's easily picked out by locating the Sickle, a group of stars that look like a backward question mark. The bright star at the bottom of the Sickle is Regulus. If you look to the south, you can see two constellations very close to the horizon; Scorpius resembles a fishhook or the letter 'J,' and Sagittarius is obvious as a group of stars that resembles an old-fashioned teapot. And here's a fun fact, the spout of the Teapot it is pointing toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Finally, when you face east you will see a definite sign that summer is here because the Summer Triangle shines brightly in the sky. The Summer Triangle is made up of these three bright stars: Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus, and Altair in Aquila. Under dark skies, you'll see the Milky Way arching up from the northeast horizon, starting under Cassiopeia, passing overhead through Cygnus and Aquila, finally ending up in the south going through Sagittarius and Scorpius. What's cool about the Milky Way is that this glowing patch of stars, gas and dust is a spiral arm of our galaxy. In order of brightness in the evening sky you will find: Mercury, Arcturus, Vega, Capella, Altair, Antares, Spica, Pollux, Deneb, Regulus and Mars. Planets this month are split between the evening and morning sky. In the June evening sky, look for Mars as a steady red light slowly moving across the stars of Leo. Mars will be closest to the bright star Regulus on the evening of June 16. Jupiter has dominated the evening sky for months, but is challenging to spot in the bright western twilight and will slip away toward the beginning of the month. It's being replaced by Mercury emerging in the evening sky about 30-40 minutes after sunset. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on July 4. Morning observers can catch brilliant Venus before dawn; it reached its greatest distance from the sun at the end of May. Golden Saturn is higher in the sky than Venus and will move away from Venus each day. The moon is a great way to locate stars and planets. The moon is near Mars on the evening of June 1, and will float near Saturn on the mornings of June 18 and 19. Then it visits Venus on the mornings of June 21 and 22. Then it will move back to the evening sky, so the moon will float near Mercury on June 26 and will pay Mars another visit on the evening of June 29. The full moon of June occurs overnight on June 10-11. It's the Full Strawberry Moon — named to coincide with the abundance of strawberries harvested this month — and will lie near the bright star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion. The full moon will be visible all night. A fun trio to look for on the evenings around June 24 is Mercury forming a line with Pollux and Castor in the evening twilight. Binoculars might help spot them. There is a meteor shower this month that might be worth watching for before dawn on the morning of June 7. It's the daytime Arietids. They are the most active daytime meteor shower, but how can you watch for them in the daytime? Its radiant — or point where the meteors seem to originate — rises before the sun. So you might catch meteors shooting up from the horizon before dawn. How fun would that be to see?
