Every day about 100 tons of meteoroids — fragments of dust and gravel and sometimes even big rocks – enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Stand out under the stars for more than a half an hour on a clear night and you’ll likely see a few of the meteors produced by the onslaught. But where does all this stuff come from? … Read the rest of this article
The Geminid Meteor Shower, December 2010
December 8, 2010
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The Geminid meteor shower, which peaks this year on Dec. 13th and 14th, is the most intense meteor shower of the year. It lasts for days, is rich in fireballs, and can be seen from almost any point on Earth.
It’s also NASA … Read the rest of this article
The Leonids, 2010
November 12, 2010
The annual Leonid Meteor Shower lasts from November 10 through the 23rd and peaks before dawn on November 17. Unfortunately, a Full Moon arrives on November 21, so its light will interfere with meteor watching until after midnight on preceding nights.
While it won’t compete with last year’s spectacular display, this year’s show still promises excitement. Observers under a dark … Read the rest of this article
Perseid Meteor Shower, 2010
August 11, 2010
Astronomers are predicting a dazzling display of shooting stars on the night of August 12/13 as the Perseid meteor shower reaches a peak in activity.
The show begins at sunset when Venus, Saturn, Mars and the crescent Moon pop out of the western twilight in tight conjunction. All four heavenly objects will fit within a circle about 10 degrees in … Read the rest of this article
Meteorite Explodes Over Indonesia
October 29, 2009
On October 8, 2009 at about 03:00 GMT, with no warning, an approx. 10-meter wide asteroid hit Earth’s atmosphere above Indonesia and exploded.
The break-up was so powerful, it triggered nuclear test ban sensors thousands of kilometers away.
A just-released analysis of infrasound data shows that the asteroid detonated with an energy equivalent of about 50 kton of TNT, similar … Read the rest of this article
Orionid Meteor Shower, 2009
October 21, 2009
The Orionid meteor shower peaks this week and it could be a very good show.
“Earth is passing through a stream of debris from Halley’s Comet, the source of the Orionids,” says Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. “Flakes of comet dust hitting the atmosphere should give us dozens of meteors per hour.”
The best time to look is … Read the rest of this article
Perseid Meteor Shower, 2009
August 9, 2009
The annual Perseid meteor shower is about to peak. The show begins after sunset on Tuesday, August 11th, and continues until the sun rises on Wednesday, August 12th.
A time of particular interest is 0800-0900 GMT (1-2 a.m. PDT) on the 12th. That’s when Earth is expected to pass through a denser-than-usual filament of dust from Perseid parent Comet Swift-Tuttle. … Read the rest of this article
Arietid Meteor Shower
June 5, 2009
The annual Arietid meteor shower peaks on Sunday, June 7th. The Arietids are unusual because they are daytime meteors; they stream out of a point in the sky not far from the sun. Their radiant is in the constellation Aries, which lies just 30 degrees from the Sun at this time of year.
Arietid meteoroids hit Earth’s atmosphere with a … Read the rest of this article
Colorado Super Bolide
December 11, 2008
On Dec. 6th, 2008 at 1:06 a.m. MST, a meteor of stunning brightness lit up the skies over Colorado, USA. Astronomer Chris Peterson photographed the event using a dedicated all-sky meteor camera in the town of Guffey, near Colorado Springs:
“In seven years of operation, this is the brightest fireball I’ve ever recorded,” says Peterson. “I estimate the terminal explosion … Read the rest of this article
Perseid Meteors 2008
August 7, 2008
The Perseid meteor shower is underway and should reach its peak during the next 24 hours. Forecasters say the best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th. An 86% full moon will interefere though the Moon will set a couple of hours after midnight. That’s when the Perseids could appear in numbers as … Read the rest of this article
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The Sun And Aurora Now
The Sun Now (Visible light)
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The Sun Now (H-Alpha light)
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Aurora Oval
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Aurora Oval
(Southern Hemisphere) |
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