The Lyrid radiant in the northern hemisphere appears in the night sky at approximately 21:00 local time and reaches its maximum height in the morning. Meteors will fly out from the constellation Lyra. You can find it by the bright blue-white star Vega in the northeastern part of the sky.
This meteor shower is one of the oldest and most famous meteor showers. It has been observed for more than 2,700 years when the Earth is crossed once a year by a stream of dust left by Comet Thatcher. The first recorded sighting of the Lyrid meteor showers was in 687 BC. from the Chinese.
Typically, this meteor shower is not very intense; you can observe about 15-30 meteors per hour. But, this is a rather interesting meteor shower, which has its own history of observations.
In 1803, over the territory of the North American continent, one could see at that time a real rain of meteors, which seemed to fly straight from the center of the constellation Lyra, where the sparkling Vega is located (one of the brightest stars in the night sky, it is easy to detect even in the most light-polluted areas). In an hour, observers could count more than 700 shooting stars, which had not happened before or in subsequent years.
Eighty-one years later, in 1884, observers counted more than 20 meteors per hour.
But already in 1922, the Lyrids again surprised astronomers and rained stars on the earth with an intensity of 1800 meteors per hour.
In 1892, the Lyrids showed activity again, although much less - about 100 meteors per hour.
From year to year, astronomers try to predict the possible intensity of the Lyrids this year or at least somehow explain the irregular bursts of their activity. So far they have not succeeded. So this spring we can see both a small meteor shower and a real historical event.
How and where is the best way to watch?
The Lyrids are best viewed in the northern hemisphere during the night (after sunset and at dawn). Find yourself a surveillance spot away from the city. Come prepared for low night temperatures with a blanket or beach chair. Lie on your back with your feet pointing south and enjoy the beautiful spectacle. After being in the dark for approximately 30 minutes, your
Where do meteors come from?
Meteors come as leftover particles of comets and their fragments (incomplete asteroids). When comets orbit the Sun, they leave a trail of dust behind them. Every year, the Earth passes through these debris trails, allowing debris to penetrate layers of our atmosphere and disintegrate, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.
The space debris that interacts with our atmosphere to create the Lyrids is generated by Comet Thatcher C/1861 G1. It was first discovered on April 5, 1861.
Starfall schedule for 2016.
The Aquarid star shower is quite strong; individual falling meteors can be observed from May 1st. But the peak of starfall activity will occur on the 4th, 5th and 6th of May. Aquarids are best observed in the southern hemisphere of the planet. The intensity of the stream will be 30-60 meteors per hour - that is, there will be flashes in the sky almost every minute.
The Capricornids are not very intense; at their peak activity, which in 2016 will occur around July 29, they will reach 5 meteors per hour. The Capricornids are actually made up of three separate streams that can drift in different directions, meaning Capriornids can usually be observed from anywhere in the world. The first stream, the main branch of the Alpha Capricornids, is most active from July 16 to August 29. The second stream, which is secondary, is from August 8 to August 21. And the third stream – from July 15 to August 1. Meteors appear from the area of the constellation Capricorn and this meteor shower is very visible in both the southern and northern hemispheres.
The Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower to watch. Since he is one of the brightest. Every year he visits us in August, and the peak of his activity occurs on the 12th-14th (about 100 meteors per hour). The Perseids are particles from the tail of comet Swift-Tuttle, which approaches our planet approximately once every 135 years. the last time this happened was in December 1992. However, the Earth passes through its luxurious tail every year. Then we see the starfall caused by the Perseids.
The Orionids are a medium-intensity meteor shower, but can sometimes be intense. Usually this is 20-25 meteors per hour, but in 2006-2009, according to this indicator, the meteor shower was comparable to the Perseids. The radiant is in the region of the constellation Orion. Our planet enters it annually around October 16th. The Orionids are the creation of the famous Comet Halley. Since the constellation Orion is located in the northern hemisphere, it is also best to observe the Orionids here.
The Taurids are the common name for the two meteor showers that produce meteor showers: the northern and southern ones. On September 7, our planet enters the Southern Taurid stream and leaves it on November 19. The Southern Taurids reach their maximum annually in late October - early November. About a week after the Southern ones, the Northern Taurids reach their maximum. Both of these meteor showers are low in intensity, with no more than 5 meteors per hour, but these meteors are very large and bright, and as a result, are very visible in the night sky. The radiant of these meteor showers is in the constellation Taurus, where they originate. Astronomers believe that the Taurids belong to the trail of Comet Encke.
This meteor shower is known for its bright flashes, most spectacularly in 1833, 1866, 1966 and 2001, as it occurred in the form of a meteor shower. Unfortunately, there will be no meteor showers until 2099, but in 2031 and 2064 the intensity of the Leonids could be up to 100 meteors per hour. In the meantime, in the next 16 years, at best, we can hope for 15 meteors per hour. A meteor shower is characterized by bright meteors that leave a noticeable trail. Meteors appear from an area around the constellation Leo. The maximum usually occurs on November 17-18.
The Geminids are usually the strongest meteor shower of the year, and stargazers try not to miss this spectacle, despite the cold night. Our planet enters the Gemenid band every year around December 7, and they last for about 10 days. The Geminids reach their maximum intensity on December 13, and then up to 100 bright and beautiful meteors can be observed per hour. Their radiant is in the constellation Virgo. The Geminids are one of the few meteor showers that can even produce fireballs.
The year ends with the Ursids, whose radiant is located in the constellation Ursa Minor. They come into force on December 17 and last for about 7 days. The Ursids reach their peak on December 20-22. The intensity of this meteor shower is low - a maximum of 10 meteors per hour. However, they move very slowly and appear directly next to the polar star, which creates a very beautiful sight.
In the coming August nights, residents of the entire Northern Hemisphere of the Earth will experience “star showers” from the constellation Perseus
The peak activity of the Perseid meteor shower occurs on August 12-13, on this night the number of meteors reaches 100 per hour, but in 2016, according to IMO (International Meteor Organization) forecasts, up to 150 meteors per hour are expected, reports the website of the Science and Life magazine.
As the publication points out, there are several reasons for the increased activity. First, the Earth will cross a dense portion of the Perseid shower, which has been displaced into Earth's orbit by the influence of Jupiter. Jupiter exerted a gravitational influence on the cometary debris, pushing the Perseid shower a little closer to Earth's orbit. Such a surge in Perseid activity, caused by the influence of Jupiter, occurs once every 11-12 years.
Secondly, the Earth will approach two trails of the Perseid progenitor comet, which were ejected by it in 1862 and 1479. This will cause two bursts of maximum Perseid activity. The first, caused by the trail of comet 1862, is expected on August 12 at 01:34 Moscow time, the second on August 12 at 02:23 Moscow time, it is caused by the trail of comet 1479.
“The Perseid meteor shower has been known to mankind for about two thousand years. The first mention of them is contained in Chinese historical annals dating back to 36 AD, when “more than a hundred meteors flashed in the morning.” It is officially believed that the discoverer of the annual Perseid meteor shower is the Belgian mathematician, astronomer, and meteorologist Adolphe Ketele, who reported this spectacle in August 1835. The number of meteors exploding each hour was first calculated in 1839. The maximum number of meteors in one hour then was 160,” says astronomer and employee of the Moscow Planetarium Lyudmila Koshman.
The Perseids are caused by the Earth passing through a plume of dust particles released by Comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet takes 133 years to complete its orbit. Each time, approaching the Sun as close as possible, the comet melts, due to which the number of cometary particles in its trail increases. Accordingly, the years closest to this event delight earthly observers with a sharp increase in the number of “falling stars”. The name Perseids comes from the name of the constellation Perseus, from which, if you look closely, these “shooting stars” fly out. The area where meteors emerge is called the radiant of a meteor shower.
Astronomers remind you that no astronomical instruments are needed to observe a meteor shower - anyone can enjoy the night star spectacle of summer. The Perseids are white meteors that streak across the sky. The glow of some particularly bright meteors lasts up to several seconds.
There is probably no person on our planet who does not like star showers. Sometimes they are so beautiful that they simply fascinate with their beauty. This is exactly the astronomical phenomenon that awaits us in August.
2016, like any other, has a constant schedule of meteor showers, since our planet follows the same cosmic route every year. In addition to planets, there are a huge number of celestial bodies in space, among which asteroids can be distinguished. The passage of our planet through the asteroid belts is no less important for astrological forecasts and horoscopes than the state of the stars. It is important to take into account the energy of an astronomical event, and not its physical meaning.
Perseids starfall in 2016
In mid-August, our planet always passes through the Perseid meteor shower. It is quite powerful, as more than 60 meteors burn up in the Earth's atmosphere almost every year during periods of peak activity. The stream was named after the constellation Perseus, from which cosmic particles appear. By the way, these particles are the product of a comet, which moves in its own special orbit, leaving us “messages”. The comet itself flies near our planet only once every 135 years. These particles are made up of ice and dust. Their speed is phenomenal - up to 200 thousand kilometers per second. This has a positive effect on visibility, since pieces of the comet entering the Earth's atmosphere cause powerful flares.
In general, the Earth usually enters the Perseids by the 20th of July, and exits by the 23rd or 25th of August. The peak of activity usually occurs on August 12-13. In 2016, people will be able to see the first shooting stars from July 18th. On August 12, 2016, the shower will reach 100 meteors per hour, which is significant compared to other known star showers. Almost two “stars” per minute are enough to enjoy the show. Naturally, this requires clear skies and distance from the city, because even 10 km from the city visibility is much better.
Meteor showers, as usual, will be observed the longest in northern latitudes. There the visibility is better and the sky is clearer. We are lucky that we are in the northern hemisphere, since the Perseids are almost invisible in the southern hemisphere.
Astrological forecasts for star shower
The Perseids are the first meteor shower discovered to be the product of a comet. It is also one of the first meteor showers, discovered by astronomers and Chinese sages back in the early first century AD.
In ancient times, people had a great desire to explain everything that was happening around them, and they turned, first of all, to the stars and space. It was then that the first major astrological teachings arose, telling us that any meteor shower is incredibly important for making astrological forecasts. It was customary to perform rituals on the waning moon during starfalls.
The Perseids, like other meteor showers associated with the activity of comets, carry warnings for all Zodiac Signs and people in general. The fact is that astrologers have never associated comets with anything positive. They always bring us uncertainty and make us impulsive. The same applies to the meteor showers they cause. That's why from the end of July to the end of August 2016, each of us will be a little sharper than usual. At the moments of greatest activity on August 12-13, 2016, people may experience strange sensations of the presence of a UFO. The flashes, which will appear on average twice a minute, are not associated with aliens, although many eyewitnesses claim to have seen alien ships in the air. This happened in 1992, 1993 and 1997. During these years, the Perseids were very active, so many are skeptical about people's opinions about aliens visiting Earth.
Clairvoyants and psychics say that meteor showers are a time when you can create protective talismans against the evil eye, curses and bad luck. Bright flashes drive away evil spirits. This is the time when even at night evil hides from our eyes. During such periods, folk healers cleanse themselves of negative energy, performing rituals of cleansing from the evil eye, from ancestral negative programs and curses. In terms of energy, such periods are very strong - you can feel the power of the Universe, which gives us time to correct our mistakes.
Many also predict the future during the Perseids and other similar astrological events. In 2016, the best time for fortune telling for the future will be the period from August 5 to August 12. Try to predict future events by looking behind the curtain before the play begins. We wish you good luck and a beautiful shower of stars. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and
01.08.2016 07:00
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The Perseid meteor shower, which can be seen every August, promises a spectacular show this year. However, in order not to miss the cosmic spectacle when the Earth passes through the dusty tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, you should understand in advance exactly when, as well as where and how best to observe the Perseids.
According to NASA meteor researcher Bill Cook, the Perseids are the most popular meteor shower of the year among amateur and professional astronomers. In 2016, according to the expert, a real “explosion” of the Perseids is expected, that is, it will be possible to observe twice as many meteors as usual: the speed of the meteor shower can reach 200 meteors per hour. The last time such an intense space show could be observed was in 2009.
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Bill Cook explained that such an “explosion” in the meteor shower arose under the influence of Jupiter - the gravitational force of the giant planet causes dust particles from the comet’s tail to concentrate in a certain zone.
When?
The Earth will pass through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle from July 17 to August 24, with the meteor shower peaking on August 12, when the planet will be in the dustiest region of the tail. This means that it is during this period that the largest number of meteors will be observed in a short period of time. However, for some time before and after the peak moment, meteors will flash in the night sky, albeit with less frequency.
Meteors will flash from the direction of the constellation Perseus, which appears on the horizon around 22:00. However, the greatest concentration of meteors will be observed after midnight. They can appear anywhere in the night sky, but they will always appear to be speeding past, moving away from the constellation Perseus.
Since this year's full moon falls on August 18, it's best to wait until after the new moon to avoid bright moonlight from dimming the falling meteors.
Where and how to watch?
The best places to view the Perseids are in the Earth's northern hemisphere and all the way to southern latitudes. No special equipment is required to observe meteor showers. All you have to do is wait until it gets dark, get comfortable and be patient. Experts warn that the human eye takes about half an hour to adjust to the darkness, so the longer you are outside, the more meteors you will be able to discern in the starry sky.
Comet Swift-Tuttle itself is the largest object known to astrophysicists that regularly flies past the Earth; the diameter of its core is about 26 kilometers. The last time it came closest to Earth was in 1992, and the next time it will happen is in 2126.
Starfall is such an ordinary and, at the same time, such an unusually beautiful phenomenon that everyone dreams of seeing. It is not surprising that many are already wondering what date the starfall will be in 2019. To answer it, let’s try to reveal for ourselves some of the secrets of this wonderful phenomenon in the night sky. In general, let's talk about starfalls today.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Quadrantids – January 1-5, 2019
The first meteor shower of 2019, as always, will be a meteor shower called the Quadrantids. The Earth encounters it every year in the first days of the new year - a kind of unique New Year's fireworks. The name of this meteor shower comes from the constellation Quadrans Muralis, which was once distinguished between the constellations Bootes, Grcules and Draco. Then this constellation was no longer classified as a separate group, but the name remained. The Quadrantids are characterized by a short-term, pronounced maximum, which can easily be missed due to cloudy weather, common in the northern hemisphere. The maximum of this shower lasts about three hours, so it is usually visible in small areas. At most northern latitudes the radiant does not reach a significant height, and in the southern hemisphere the shower is mostly not visible at all. Please note that the ZHR value is calculated based on ideal observing conditions, so in practice the number of observed meteors visible to the naked eye in the sky may be significantly less. The last time this stream generated an abundant shower of stars was in 1984. The speed of meteors in the Quadrantids is low, and they themselves are not very strong. The best time to watch this meteor shower is from January 1st to January 5th.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Lyrids: April 16-25, 2019
Further, after April 16th each year, the time of the Lyrid comes - a spring meteor shower, usually reaching its maximum on April 21-22. As is already clear, its name comes from the constellation Lyra. The Lyrid radiant in the northern hemisphere appears in the night sky at approximately 21:00 local time and reaches its maximum height in the morning. And although its activity is not too high, it is a rather interesting meteor shower, which has its own history of observations.
So, in 1803, over the territory of the North American continent, one could see at that time a real rain of meteors, which seemed to fly directly from the center of the constellation Lyra, where the sparkling Vega is located. In an hour, observers could count more than 700 shooting stars, which had not happened before or in subsequent years. Eighty-one years later, in 1884, observers counted no more than 20 meteors per hour. However, already in 1922, the Lyrids again surprised astronomers and rained stars on the earth with an intensity of 1800 meteors per hour. In 1982, the Lyrids showed activity again, although much less - no more than 100 meteors per hour.
For several years now, astronomers have been trying to predict the possible intensity of the Lyrids this year or somehow explain the irregular bursts of their amazing activity. So far they have not succeeded. So perhaps in April 2019 the Lyrids will surprise all of humanity again, and you will be able to observe this with your own eyes. Although at its usual maximum this meteor shower does not produce more than 15 meteors per hour.
In early May every year you can observe the Earth passing through the Aquarid star stream. They reach the peak of their activity on May 4-6, although they begin much earlier - almost immediately after the passage of the Lyrids. Unfortunately, residents of the northern hemisphere are less fortunate; Aquarids are best seen in the opposite, southern hemisphere of our planet. Here, at the peak of Aquarid activity, the meteor shower reaches 60 meteors in one hour. However, even in the northern hemisphere, if you are lucky, you can observe one meteor once every 2 minutes. The Aquarids get their name from the constellation Aquarius, where their radiant is located. In Latin it sounds like Aquarius.
It must be said that Aquarids were observed back in Ancient China and there is numerous written evidence of this. Although this meteor shower was first described in detail only in 1848 by German astronomers.
Like all other meteor showers, the Aquarids are fragments of a comet. But they are especially interesting because they were generated by the famous Halley's comet. It is also the cause of another meteor shower - the Ornid, but we will talk about it a little later.
The Aquarids are best observed before dawn on May 6th, when the constellation Aquarius, where their radian is located, is lowest above the horizon. So, dress warmly and watch the stars fall.
Astronomers often divide the Aquarids into two parts - eta and delta. In May it is the eta Aquarids that can be observed, but they will visit us again at the end of July, starting around the 29th. Like the Eta Aquarids, the Delta Aquarids will be best visible in the southern hemisphere, but in the northern hemisphere they will be quite dim and almost invisible.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Capricornids: July 25 – September 15, 2019
At the end of July, you can also observe a meteor shower caused by another meteor shower - the Capricornids. As you probably understand, it got its name from the constellation Capricorn. And although the Capricornids remain active until September 15th, they reach their peak around July 29th. The Capricornids are not very intense - at maximum their activity reaches 5 meteors per hour. However, the Capricornid meteors are among the brightest, so observers can be in for a real treat. And even - who knows? Have time to make a wish.
People first started talking about the Capricornids in the second half of the 19th century. The honor of their discovery, which took place in 1871, belongs to the Hungarian astronomer N. de Concolli. Already in the 20th century, astronomers discovered that the Capricornids actually consist of three separate streams that can drift in different directions, and therefore the Capricornids can usually be observed from anywhere on the globe. The first stream, the main branch of the Alpha Capricornids, is most active between July 16 and August 29. The second stream, which is a secondary stream, is most active during the period from August 8 to August 21. And finally, the third stream is active from July 15 to August 1. Meteors appear, as their name suggests, from the area of the constellation Capricorn and this meteor shower is very visible in both the southern and northern hemispheres.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Perseids: August 10-20, 2019
Without any doubt, we can say that the Perseids are one of the most popular meteor showers. He visits us annually in August, and usually his peak falls on August 12-14. The Perseids are particles from the tail of comet Swift-Tuttle, which approaches our planet approximately once every 135 years. The last time this happened was in December 1992. However, the Earth passes through its luxurious tail every year. Then we see the starfall caused by the Perseids. And of course, all these bright meteors appear precisely from the direction of the constellation Perseus.
At the peak of its intensity, the Perseids show up to 100 meteors per hour. This is quite a lot, but in Russia, as a rule, no more than 60 meteors per hour are visible, or about 1 meteor per minute. So time it and make a wish.
The Perseids were first described in ancient Chinese chronicles dating back to 36 BC. In medieval Europe, the Perseids were also well known, although at that time they were not yet the Perseids, but the “Tears of St. Lawrence.” The fact is that in August, when the Perseids appear in the sky, and specifically on the 10th, the feast of this particular saint will take place in Italy. However, the official discoverer of this meteor shower is considered to be the Belgian astronomer Adolphe Ketele, who described them in detail in 1835.
The Perseids are a very powerful and unusually beautiful meteor shower, when the entire sky seems to be strewn with falling stars. The largest of them leave a fairly noticeable mark on the sky, which can be visible even for a few seconds.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Orionids: October 16-27, 2019
In October, the Earth passes through another meteor shower called the Orionids. Yes, the radian of this shower is in the constellation Orion. Our planet enters it annually around October 16th. The Orionids are a relatively weak meteor shower that peaks on October 21-22 but continues until October 27. We already said a little higher that, like the Avarids, the Orionids are the product of the famous Halley's comet. Since the constellation Orion is located in the northern hemisphere, it is also best to observe the Orionids here. The average intensity of the Orionids is 20-25 meteors per hour.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Taurids: September 7 – November 19, 2019
The Taurids are the common name for the two meteor showers that produce meteor showers: the northern and southern ones. They were discovered in 1869 by the Italian Giuseppe Gesioli. On September 7, our planet enters the Southern Taurid stream and leaves it on November 19. The Southern Taurids reach their maximum annually in late October - early November. About a week after the Southern ones, the Northern Taurids reach their maximum. Both of these meteor showers have low intensity, no more than 5 meteors per hour, but these meteors are very large and bright, and therefore are clearly visible in the autumn night sky. As the name suggests, the radian of these meteor showers is located in the constellation Taurus, where they originate. Astronomers believe that the Taurids belong to the trail of Comet Encke.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Leonids: November 15-22, 2019
Another meteor shower well known for its bright and abundant flashes, the Earth passes through in November every year. Its maximum usually occurs on November 17-18, and the radian of this meteor shower is in the constellation Leo. The "mother" of the Leonids is comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, and their intensity largely depends on where exactly the comet's trail is located and how long ago it was left. So, in 1998, the mother comet once again came close to our Sun, so for several subsequent years in November, real storms of meteors could be observed in the sky. Over time, the intensity of the stream has weakened significantly and now, even during the peak period, no more than 10 bright meteors per hour can be observed in the sky.
This meteor shower was first described back in 901 by Eutyches of Alexandria. There is even a well-known jazz composition dedicated to the Leonids called “The Stars Fell on Alabama,” which recalls a grandiose meteor shower, more reminiscent of a real shower of meteors, that occurred in 1833 over the territory of the United States. An unusually strong Leonid shower was also observed in 1966. During each hour, observers counted up to 150 thousand bright meteors - just think about this figure.
Astronomers expect the next meteor showers to occur no earlier than 2031.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Geminids: December 7-18, 2019
Shortly after the Leonids, stargazers will be able to see another intense and beautiful meteor shower called the Geminids. Our planet enters their zone every year around December 7th and it lasts about 10 days. The Geminids reach their maximum intensity on December 13, and then up to 100 bright and beautiful meteors can be observed per hour. Their radian is located in the constellation Virgo, the Geminids are one of the few meteor showers that can even produce fireballs. They were first described at the end of the 19th century; astronomers associate this meteor shower with the asteroid Phaethon.
What date will the starfall be in 2019? Ursids: December 17-25, 2019
Finally, another meteor shower ends the year, called the Ursids. The Ursid Radian is located in the constellation Ursa Minor and takes effect on December 17th and lasts for about 7 days. Accordingly, the Ursids reach their peak by December 20-22. The Ursids were first described at the beginning of the 20th century by the English astronomer William Denning, and later their direct connection with Comet Tuttle was established, but this happened already at the end of the 20th century - in 1970. The intensity of the Ursids is low, with up to 10 “shooting stars” or less visible per hour. However, they move even slower than the Perseids, and in addition, they appear directly next to the polar star, which in itself is very beautiful.