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See - Sada Elbalad
a day ago
- Science
- See - Sada Elbalad
Meteor Showers to Light Up the Night Sky This Week
Israa Farhan Stargazers across the globe are in for a celestial spectacle this week as two meteor showers, the Alpha Capricornids and the Southern Delta Aquariids, reach peak visibility. These overlapping events promise a mesmerizing display of fireballs and shooting stars visible from both hemispheres, with activity continuing until mid-August. The Alpha Capricornids, renowned for their brilliant fireballs, are forecast to peak at 1 a.m. ET on Wednesday. These meteors, originating from the constellation Capricornus, are best observed in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly over regions such as Australia and Africa. Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, however, may still catch three to five meteors per hour by focusing their gaze low along the southern horizon. Following closely behind, the Southern Delta Aquariids are set to intensify around 3 a.m. ET the same night. With radiant activity streaming from the Aquarius constellation, this meteor shower is expected to deliver a stronger performance, producing up to 25 meteors per hour in the Southern Hemisphere and around 10 to 15 in northern regions such as the United States. Though experts disagree on the exact peak, some citing Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, others suggesting Wednesday night into Thursday, the variation is minor. Meteor activity remains relatively consistent across several nights, so missing the precise peak should not deter enthusiasts. Observers can expect steady rates on nearby dates such as 29 or 31 July. The ideal viewing conditions involve dark, unobstructed locations free from light pollution, such as high-altitude areas or rural landscapes. For optimal visibility, avoid tall buildings and dense trees, and allow at least 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. In addition to the Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids, the Perseid meteor shower is also currently active, although not yet at its peak. The combination of these three showers, along with sporadic meteors unrelated to any specific stream, could result in sightings of up to 40 meteors per hour under perfect conditions. Both the Alpha Capricornids and the Southern Delta Aquariids originate from Jupiter-family comets, 169P/NEAT and P2008/Y12 respectively. Experts believe that the Alpha Capricornids will grow in intensity over time, eventually becoming one of the most prolific meteor showers visible from Earth, potentially producing over 1,000 meteors per hour in about two centuries. For amateur astronomers and enthusiasts, this week offers a prime opportunity to contribute to scientific knowledge by documenting and reporting meteor sightings to organizations such as the American Meteor Society. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results
CBS News
2 days ago
- Science
- CBS News
Two meteor showers peak Tuesday night. Here's how to view them.
Be sure to turn your eyes to the night sky, as brief flashes of light will streak through outer space on Tuesday night. Two meteor showers will peak Tuesday night and into the following morning. Cheers emerged from the utter awe of daylight turning black as the solar eclipse in 2024 caused humanity to gather and share in the rare spectacle. But every summer in late July there are no special glasses needed, no path of totality to visit in order to witness another galactic wonder. "Really all you need to do is go out and look up," said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium production coordinator at the Bell Museum. Two meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariid and Alpha Capricornid, are peaking this time of year. "The original starting point for these meteors that are coming from a meteor shower are generally from comets," LaCoursiere said. Comets are made of rock, dust, and ice orbiting the sun. When they get close to the sun, they heat up and form a fiery tail. "That material in the comet's tail, it doesn't go back to (the comet). It gets left behind," LaCoursiere said. That left over material floating in space are meteoroids. A meteor shower is when the earth encounters floating meteoroids while it orbits the sun. As the earth passes through the debris, the meteoroids enter the earth's atmosphere. They speed up and burn up, becoming meteors, also known as "shooting stars." "Meteor showers get their name from the area in the sky that they appear to come from," LaCoursiere said. The Alpha Capricornid meteor shower appears to come from the constellation Capricornus. The Southern Delta Aquariid appears to come from the constellation Aquarius. LaCoursiere said to look away from their point of origin. "If I can find Capricorn in the sky, I face away from it because those meteors are going to come from behind my head, they're going to take a few seconds to enter the atmosphere, a few seconds to heat up, and so by the time we see them, we're looking opposite from where they came from," he said. Other tips to better see a meteor shower:
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
From comets to fireballs: Why you should look up on the night of 29 July for the most amazing astronomical event
Skywatchers across the globe can expect a dazzling night as the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids reach their peak on 29–30 July. With up to 25 meteors per hour and no moonlight to interfere, visibility will be ideal. Best seen from the Southern Hemisphere but visible worldwide, this rare double shower will offer bright fireballs and long meteor trails. The Southern Delta Aquariids remain active through 31 July, giving stargazers multiple chances to catch the display. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads July 29th astronomical event: Southern Delta Aquariids Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads July 29th: Fireballs from the Alpha Capricornids Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Best time and place to watch What causes meteor showers How to prepare for the event Get away from city lights and find an open space with a wide view of the sky Lie flat or use a reclining chair to reduce neck strain Let your eyes adjust to the dark for at least 20 minutes Bring warm clothes and something to eat or drink Look generally south and give it time — patience pays off On the night of 29–30 July, skies across the world will come alive with a rare and striking natural show. Two meteor showers — the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids — will peak at the same time. What makes this especially exciting is the absence of moonlight, which means dark, clear skies and uninterrupted views of up to 25 meteors an say this is one of the most promising viewing windows in years.'With the Moon out of the way, dark skies will offer a chance to see up to 25 shooting stars per hour, making it a perfect time for stargazing,' experts both showers will be visible worldwide, the Southern Hemisphere offers the best conditions. That's because the constellations Aquarius and Capricornus, from which these meteors appear to originate, rise higher in southern Southern Delta Aquariids are the main draw. Active from 18 July to 12 August, they are known for their subtle, fast-moving streaks that often leave long-lasting trails. At their peak, they're expected to produce around 20 meteors per meteors come from Comet 96P/Machholz , a small, short-period comet that has left a consistent debris trail along Earth's orbital broad peak of this shower gives observers more than just one night. Meteor activity is expected to remain strong through to 31 July. So even if cloud cover spoils the main night, there are still good chances to catch the event.'The Southern Delta Aquariids have a broad peak, meaning good meteor rates can be seen for about a week until July 31,' according to Northern Hemisphere viewers, Aquarius sits lower on the southern horizon, so early morning hours before sunrise are best for spotting the meteors. In the south, the constellation rises higher and earlier, making the show easier to smaller in number, the Alpha Capricornids bring their own visual drama. Active from 7 July to 15 August, this shower adds five to ten meteors per hour. What they lack in quantity, they make up for in quality. These meteors are slow, often bright, and sometimes colourful.'They often appear as slow, bright fireballs in colour,' experts Alpha Capricornids originate from Comet 169P/NEAT , a 3-kilometre-wide body that was only discovered in 2002. It completes its orbit around the Sun every 4.2 years. Earth's passage through its trail gives rise to these brilliant Capricornus lies close to Aquarius in the sky, it's hard to tell which meteor belongs to which shower. But most people watching from Earth won't mind — the combined effect is what you are will influence how much you see, but the advice is broadly the areas will offer the darkest skies. Avoid streetlights and let your eyes adjust for at least 20 to 30 minutes. No telescope needed — just look south and be patient. Meteors often come in pre-dawn hours of 30 July are likely to offer the best show, especially for those in the Southern Hemisphere.'The Southern Hemisphere offers the best viewing conditions , as both constellations are higher in the sky,' astronomers have showers like these happen when Earth passes through streams of debris left behind by comets. As bits of rock and ice burn up in the atmosphere, they produce streaks of light — what we call shooting these two showers are annual events, they rarely reach their peak together with such clear skies. This year's lack of moonlight makes the timing near you're planning to watch, consider the following tips:Whether you're into astronomy or just fancy looking up, this is one of those nights worth stepping outside for.
CNET
16-07-2025
- Science
- CNET
Look Up at Night and You May See 2 Meteor Showers at Once
Even if you've never really seen one, meteor showers actually happen all year. In fact, they happen so often that they overlap for significant percentages of the year. There are two times when three meteor showers will be active in October, for example. But a rarer feat? Having two meteor showers that peak at the same time. It'll happen later this month, on July 29. The show will come courtesy of the Alpha Capricornids and Southern delta Aquariids meteor showers. The former began on Saturday and runs through Aug. 12, with a peak of July 29. Southern delta Aquariids will start on July 28, peaks early on July 29, and then runs until Aug. 12 as well. That means for one evening, the two meteor showers are peaking at the same time, giving stargazers a much better chance at catching a shooting star. Of the two, the Southern delta Aquarids is typically the larger meteor shower, tossing upwards of 25 meteors per hour during its zenith. Alpha Capricornids is a lesser meteor shower, with about five per hour on average. Combined, they'll output an estimated 30 per hour. How to see two meteor showers at once Since the meteors are coming from two different points in the sky, you would think spotting meteors from both would be difficult, but that is far from the truth. Alpha Capricornids, which hails from the 169P/NEAT comet, originates from the Capricornus constellation. It will rise from the eastern skies across the continental US around sunset and streak across the southern sky, setting in the western sky at sunrise. For the Southern delta Aquariids, its radiant — the point from which its meteors seem to originate — is the Aquarius constellation. Aquarius is right next to Capricornus. That means it also rises out of the eastern horizon, streaks across the southern sky, and sets in the western horizon around dawn. If you have trouble finding either of them, Stellarium's free sky map will help you hunt them down. Set the time, date and location, and you're off to the races. Once you find one, the other one is essentially right there next to it. Tips on spotting meteors As per the norm, the tips here are the same as they are for the aurora borealis and planet parades. Light pollution and weather are your two biggest enemies. Since you can only do anything about one of those, let's focus on light pollution. You'll want to drive as far away from the city and suburbs as possible, as the light pollution will make it difficult to see the dimmer meteors. The further away you are, the better, as even suburban light pollution can obfuscate most meteors. Once out there, you just have to sit and wait. Since the constellations will move across the south as you watch, you may have to rotate your chair if you're out there for a while. Otherwise, a pair of binoculars may help. Telescopes aren't recommended, as they obscure your field of view and may actively obstruct your ability to see meteors.
CNET
11-07-2025
- Science
- CNET
Look Up at Night and You May See Two Meteor Showers in July
Meteor showers happen periodically all year. In fact, they happen so often that they overlap for significant percentages of the year. There are two times when three meteor showers will be active in October, for example. But a rarer feat is having two meteor showers that have their activity peak at the same time. The next time that's happening is on July 29. The show will come courtesy of the Alpha Capricornids and Southern delta Aquariids meteor showers. The former begins on July 12 and runs through Aug. 12, with a peak of July 29. Southern delta Aquariids will start on July 28, peaks early on July 29, and then runs until Aug. 12 as well. That means for one evening, the two meteor showers are peaking at the same time, giving stargazers a much better chance at catching a shooting star. Of the two, the Southern delta Aquarids is typically the larger meteor shower, tossing upwards of 25 meteors per hour during its zenith. Alpha Capricornids is a lesser meteor shower, with about five per hour on average. Combined, they'll output an estimated 30 per hour. How to see the meteor showers Since the meteors are coming from two different points in the sky, you would think spotting meteors from both would be difficult, but that is far from the truth. Alpha Capricornids, which hails from the 169P/NEAT comet, originates from the Capricornus constellation. It will rise from the eastern skies across the continental US around sunset and streak across the southern sky, setting in the western sky at sunrise. For the Southern delta Aquariids, its radiant — the point from which its meteors seem to originate — is the Aquarius constellation. Aquarius is right next to Capricornus. That means it also rises out of the eastern horizon, streaks across the southern sky, and sets in the western horizon around dawn. If you have trouble finding either of them, Stellarium's free sky map will help you hunt them down. Set the time, date and location, and you're off to the races. Once you find one, the other one is essentially right there next to it. Tips on spotting shooting stars As per the norm, the tips here are the same as they are for the aurora borealis and planet parades. Light pollution and weather are your two biggest enemies. Since you can only do anything about one of those, let's focus on light pollution. You'll want to drive as far away from the city and suburbs as possible, as the light pollution will make it difficult to see the dimmer meteors. The further away you are, the better, as even suburban light pollution can obfuscate most meteors. Once out there, you just have to sit and wait. Since the constellations will move across the south as you watch, you may have to rotate your chair if you're out there for a while. Otherwise, a pair of binoculars may help. Telescopes aren't recommended, as it obscures your field of view and may actively obstruct your ability to see meteors.
