[ad_1]
WAUKESHA, WI – As America continues to move away socially, 2021 kicks off with the first major meteor shower, the Quadrantids, peaking in Waukesha this weekend. The shower has the potential to be one of the strongest of the year, but the window for maximum activity is short – just six hours – and with winter setting in for much of the country, take showering requires commitment.
The peak of activity occurs late at night on Saturday January 2 and early Sunday morning on January 3.
Quadrantids are a prolific meteor shower, occasionally delivering 50 to 100 shooting stars per hour in dark skies, and are known to produce brilliant fireballs. As with all meteor showers, the quadrantids are best seen away from city lights.
The Quadrantid meteor shower faces competition this year from a waning gibbous moon, according to Earthsky.org. But even with the moonlight, it is still possible to catch fireballs. The Quadrantids began on Sunday and run through January 10.
There will be many more reasons to go out and contemplate the night sky in 2021.
Meteor showers
Lyrids, April 21-22: This medium-strength shower, producing 10-15 shooting stars per hour and known to produce fireballs, runs from April 16 to 30. For the best viewing conditions, step outside for an hour or two between moonset and dawn. The Lyrid meteor shower can produce rare shards of up to 100 shooting stars per hour. The constellation Lyra, marked by the bright star Vega, is the radiating point of this shower.
Eta Aquariids, May 4-6: This meteor shower, from April 27 to May 28, favors the southern hemisphere. Residents of the northern United States may only see a handful of shooting stars from the Eta Aquariid meteor shower, while those in the southern United States can reliably see 10 to 20 per hour. The American Meteor Society says they are fast and produce a high percentage of persistent trains but few fireballs. The constellation Aquarius the water carrier is the radiating point of the shower. A waning crescent moon shouldn’t provide too much competition to see this meteor shower.
Delta Aquariids, July 27-30: Don’t over commit on these dates. The shower operates from July 12 to August 23 but does not have a definitive peak period. Like Eta aquariids in the spring, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower favors the southern hemisphere, but sky watchers in the tropical latitudes of the northern hemisphere can see 15 or 20 shooting stars per hour. The best time to see them is in the hours before dawn. Earthsky.org says that meteors, which appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius the water carrier near the star Skat (or Delta), are fairly consistent throughout late July and early August.
Alpha Capricornids, July 28-29: The Alpha Capricornid meteor shower is active from July 3 to August 15. It’s not a particularly heavy rain, offering only about five shooting stars per hour, according to the American Meteor Society, but it is remarkable because so many meteors are bright fireballs.
Perseids, August 12-13: The Perseid meteor shower is considered by many to be the best meteor shower of the year, according to Sea and Sky. The shower, famous for its bright meteors at a rate of around 60 hours per hour during peak periods, runs from July 17 to August 24. The shower is best seen after midnight from a dark location. While meteors appear to be beaming from the constellation Perseus, they can be seen from anywhere in the sky.
Draconids, October 8: The draconid meteor shower is unlike most others in that it is best seen in the evening, when Draco the Dragon, the leader of the constellation, rises highest in the sky as darkness falls. It is a short-lived downpour, from October 6 to 10. An almost dark sky will provide ideal viewing conditions. The shower is a sleeper, typically delivering a handful of meteors per hour – but in rare cases the dragon wakes up and spits out hundreds of meteors per hour.
Orionids, October 20-21: The Orionid meteor shower is active from October 2 to November 7 each year and produces between 10 and 20 meteors per hour at the summit. The moon will be full, so only the brightest will be visible. The Orionids, produced by dust grains left behind by ancient comet Halley, appear to radiate from the constellation Orion but can be seen anywhere in the sky. An almost full moon will interfere with viewing, which is best in the hours before dawn.
Taurids, November 4-5, and November 11-12: This is a minor, long-lasting meteor shower that only produces about five or 10 shooting stars per hour. This is unusual not only because of its length – it runs from September 7 to December 10 – but also because it consists of two distinct branches: the Southern Taurids, which peak on November 4 and 5, and the Taurids. North, which peak in November. 11-12. The southern branch of the Taurid meteor shower is produced by dust grains left behind asteroid 2004 TG10, and the source of the northern branch is debris left behind by comet 2P Encke. Both streams are rich in fireballs. At the top, a new moon will make the skies dark. The shooting stars appear to radiate from the constellation Taurus, but you will be able to see them anywhere in the sky.
Leonids, November 16-17: The Leonid meteor shower, produced by dust grains left behind by Comet Tempel-Tuttle, runs from November 6 to 30 each year. The Leonids have a cyclonic peak about every 33 years, when hundreds of meteors an hour can be seen – as last time in 2001 – but it will be an average year with about 15 shooting stars per hour at the top. An almost full moon will be troublesome, but the Leonids are known to produce particularly bright shooting stars that even moonlight cannot erase. The meteors appear to come from the constellation Leo.
Geminids, December 13-14: The Geminid meteor shower, which runs from December 4 to 17, is the best shooting star show of the year. Produced by debris left by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, discovered in 1982, the Geminids produce between 50 and 120 multicolored meteors per hour at the top. A waxing gibbous moon at the top will block some of them, but they’re so prolific and bright you should still be able to see some. Meteors appear to be beaming from the constellation Gemini, but you will be able to see them anywhere in the sky.
Ursides, December 21: The Ursid meteor shower runs from December 17 to 26 and always peaks around the winter solstice. The Ursids are fairly inconspicuous, delivering five or 10 meteors per hour, but on rare occasions, they can produce explosions of 100 or more meteors per hour. The meteors appear to come from the constellation Ursa Minor.
Full moons and supermoons
A trio of supermoons begins in April this year, when it will probably be warm enough in most countries to comfortably take in these big, beautiful shows.
What is a super moon? As NASA explains, a supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time that it is full. Proximity to Earth – keep in mind that our planet and moon are still 226,000 apart at this point – makes the moon appear a little brighter and larger than usual.
A seasonal blue moon is also rising in 2021 – and that might not be what you think. In modern times, a blue moon is often defined as the second full noon of a given month. The definition is generally accepted; but in older uses, a blue moon referred to the third full moon in a season with four full moons. NASA says this happens about every 2-1 / 2 years.
“With two decades of popular use behind it, the second (wrong) interpretation of the full moon in a month is like a genius that can’t be bottled up,” Texan astronomer Donald W. Olson wrote in a 2006 column for Sky & Telescope magazine.
But, he noted, “that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Here’s another little anecdote about the blue moon: there are about 29-1 / 2 days between full moons. For this reason, February never has a new moon according to the modern definition of two full moons per month.
Lunar lovers, here are some dates to know:
January 28, Full Moon: Also known as the Wolf Full Moon, the Old Moon, and the Moon after Yule.
February 27, Full Moon: Also known as the Full Snow Moon and the Hunger Moon.
March 28, Full Moon: Also known as Worm Full Moon, Raven Moon, Crusted Moon, Sap Moon, and Lent Moon.
April 27, Supermoon: Also known as Pink Full Moon, Sprouted Grass Moon, Waxing Moon, Egg Moon, or Fish Moon.
May 26, Super Moon: Also known as the Corn Planting Full Moon and Milk Moon.
June 24, Super Moon: Also known as Strawberry Full Moon, Pink Moon, and Honeymoon.
July 24, Full Moon: Also known as Full Moon, Thunder Moon, and Hay Moon.
August 22, full moon, blue moon: Also known as the sturgeon full moon, green corn moon, and grain moon, the August full moon is a blue moon according to the first definition of the phrase because it is the third of the four full moons between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox.
September 20, Full Moon: Also known as the Harvest Full Moon because it occurs near the Fall Equinox, but also known as the Corn Moon.
October 20, Full Moon: Also known as the Hunter’s Full Moon, Travel Moon, and Blood Moon.
November 19, Full Moon: Also known as the Beaver Full Moon, Frost Moon, and Black Moon.
December 19, Full Moon: Also known as cold full moon, long moon and moon nights before Yule.
Solar and lunar eclipses
2021 will have other notable events in the sky:
May 26, Total Lunar Eclipse: People living in western North America, throughout the Pacific Ocean, East Asia, Japan, and Australia will see a total lunar eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes through the dark shadow of the Earth, or Shadow. The moon will gradually darken and then take on a rusty or blood red color.
June 10, Annular Solar Eclipse: An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is farthest from Earth and appears smaller and does not completely block the view of the sun, resulting in a ring of light around the darkened moon. The northeastern United States, Europe and most of Russia will see a partial solar eclipse, according to NASA.
November 19, Partial Lunar Eclipse: A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth’s partial shadow, or penumbra, and only part of it passes through the darker shadow, or shadow. The moon darkens as it moves through the Earth’s shadow in this type of eclipse. It will be visible across most of North America, as well as eastern Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Mexico, Central America, and parts of western America. from South.
December 4, Total Solar Eclipse: A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks the sun, revealing the solar corona or the outer atmosphere. The path of this entire eclipse is limited to Antarctica and the South Atlantic Ocean, but a partial eclipse will be visible over much of South Africa.
[ad_2]
Source link