Thursday, May 2, 2013
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, an offspring of Halley's comet, is underway and about to peak over Arlington.
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower 2013 peak, fresh on the heels of the Lyrids, is expected to peak this Sunday, May 5, but the show over Arlington has already begun. The weather forecast for the Arlington area calls for mostly clear skies on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5, so that may be your best time to catch a glimpse. Already, though, you may be able to see a decent show. Try to find a dark place—yes, you may have to leave Arlington to do this, thanks to light pollution—and time your viewing in the 4- to 5-hour period before dawn (midnight to 1 a.m.). Eta Aquarids get their name from Aquarius, the constellation you'll look toward to catch what have come to be known as "shooting stars" -- which aren't shooting stars at all. What you will …
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The first meteor shower of 2013 begins Tuesday over the skies of Arlington.
Look skyward tonight—the Quadrantid meteor shower will peak overnight Tuesday night over the United States. The Quadrantid meteor shower is named for a long-gone constellation, but the shooting stars that seem to sprout from it live on. The opening of the 2013 show started being visible to us overnight Jan. 1 into Jan. 2 and peaks in the early morning hours Jan. 3. The Quadrantids is one of the lesser-known meteor showers of the year, but that doesn't mean it's anything less than spectacular. Take a look at this Quadrantids meteor shower video or these pictures of the Quadrantids. A stubborn moon will wash out many Quadrantids, cutting down on the number of meteors seen by skywatchers, but with an average of about 80 per hour, clear skies…
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The Leonid meteor shower will peak Saturday and next Tuesday.
Keep your eyes on the sky over Arlington Saturday night, because the famous Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak in the pre-dawn hours. These meteors move quickly (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 and can vary in color. "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 Astronomy.com. If you miss the show Saturday night, the meteor shower will peak again Tuesday, Nov. 20. According to Space.com, Leonids are spawned by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. This shower is called the Leonids shower because the …
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Shooting stars from the Orionids meteor shower will be flying early in the morning next week over Arlington.
Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet beginning this Monday, which means Arlington skywatchers will get to see the annual Orionids meteor shower. The meteor shower will build throughout the week and peak the night of Saturday, Oct. 20. Space.com has these viewing tips: Get as far away from city and other artificial lights as possible. Meteor showers are best viewed in really dark skies. Try to keep the moon out of your field of vision, too. This year, the moon will be setting late Saturday into early Sunday, which will keep the sky darkened enough that — barring cloud cover — you should be able to see up to 15 meteors per hour. Meteor showers get their names from the constellations in the sky where they can be …
