Astronomers anticipate three meteor showers to take place over the next month, starting late tonight.
Nov. 12: Taurid Meteor Shower
- The Taurid meteors are expected to peak Nov. 12 in the early morning hours just after midnight. EarthSky.com reports that this slow-moving, modest shower may yield just 10 meteors per hour. "But even one bright meteor can be a treat, especially since a good percentage of the Taurid meteors tend to produce fireballs!" according to the website. The shower is visible anywhere in the world and will appear to radiate from the Pleiades star cluster.
Nov. 17: Leonid Meteor Shower
- After years of heavier-than-average showers, the famous Leonids have returned and are expected to peak on Nov. 17 in the pre-dawn hours. These meteors are fast (about 40 miles per second) and can leave trails of smoke, according to Astronomy.com. They will appear to radiate from the constellation Leo the Lion. "Many Leonids are also bright. Usually, the meteors are white or bluish-white, but in recent years some observers reported yellow-pink and copper-colored ones," according to the website.
Dec. 13: Geminid Meteor Shower
- The last shooting star cluster before New Year's is the Geminid Meteor Shower, expected to peak in the pre-dawn hours after midnight between Dec. 13 and Dec. 15. They will be visible in all parts of the sky and streak through the sky at more than 50 meteors per hour, almost a meteor a minute, according to EarthSky.com. The new moon is expected to fall on Dec. 13, making for optimal dark skies—as long as you avoid city lights and clouds, the website states.
Here in Middletown, Wesleyan University offers (@WesAstro) monthly Saturday Night Observing.
Organized and hosted by the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford (ASGH), this is a great opportunity to view the sky through our beautiful 20" refractor. Refurbished in recent years in honor of Walter Scott "Scotty" Houston who used this instrument many nights, we can now share this telescope with the public on regular occasions. For details please visit the ASGH website.
- 2012 schedule for public observing on the Wesleyan 20" refractor:
November 17, 8:00pm-10:00pm
December 22, 8:00pm-10:00pm
Be sure to schedule a night this season to bundle up, lay out some blankets and enjoy the light show in the sky.