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VIRGINIA – There is nothing like sitting outside on a hot summer night and watching fireballs spinning in the sky. Over the next few weeks, you can see meteors every time you watch in the evening. This is thanks to the cosmic shows of the summer meteor showers: the Delta Aquarids and the glorious Perseids.
The Delta Aquarids take place from July 12 to August 30. 23 and culminate 27-28 July.
Think of the Delta Aquarides as a dress rehearsal for the most reliable Perseids. This typically prolific meteor shower runs from July 17 to August 1. 24, reaching the night of August 12th to 13th.
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The Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower, produced by debris left by comets Marsden and Kracht, is an average show, producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak.
There's some bad news – a full moon at the top, July 27, will erase the weakest shooting stars – but there's also good news: slow shower meteors will still fly when rain falls Perseid meteors begin, so you should be able to see meteors flying in opposite directions.
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The Perseids, which are usually rich in fireballs that create long dramatic trails in the sky, promise to Be worth waiting for this year.
At the top of the shower, a thin ribbon will be all that is visible from a crescent moon, and the meteors should fly at a rate of 60 to 100 per hour.
In the "overflow" years, such as 2016, the intensity can reach 200 meteors per hour.
The meteorite expert at NASA Bill Cooke does not expect an explosion this year, but said the Perseids will still be the best meteor shower in 2018.
"This year the moon will be close to the new moon, it will be a crescent, which means it will happen before Perseide's show starts after midnight, "Cooke told Space.com." The moon is very supportive of the Perseids this year , and this will probably make the Perseids the best rain of 2018 for people who want to go out and see it. "
The historically brilliant Perseids are produced by the comet Swift -Tuttle, discovered in 1862. Meteors fall between Perseus constellations and Cbadiopeia, but just look up and be able to see them anywhere in the sky
When To Watch
With the two meteor showers, the best The observation hours are after minui t around the hours before dawn, but you might be able to see some of them as soon as it gets dark.
- Delta Aquarides
- Pic: Friday, July 27 to Saturday, July 28
- Shower: Thursday, July 12 to Thursday, August 23
- Perseids
- Pic: Sunday, August 12, to Monday, August 13
- ] Shower: from Tuesday, July 17 to Friday, August 24
The dark sky away from light pollution offers the best viewing conditions, but there are good places to see meteors in major cities In Virginia, The Northern Virginia Astronomy Club recommends watching the Big Meadows viewing area in Shenandoah National Park and CM Crockett Park in Midland.
Here are some tips for NASA's Meteor Watch:
- Take something comfortable to sit or lie down, like a lounge chair or yoga mat so you can see most of the sky.
- Be patient. In ideal conditions, you should be able to see a meteor in about half an hour.
- Leave binoculars and telescopes at home. They will steal the best views. Meteors are amazing without them, and the use of binoculars or telescopes will limit the amount of sky you can see and increase the chances of seeing only dark skies.
- Avoid looking at your mobile phone or any other light source. If you need to see something, use a red light. Some flashlights have interchangeable filters; if yours does not, you can still paint the transparent filter with red nail polish
– By Beth Dalbey Editor Patch
Photo: NASA / Bill Ingalls [19659030] Subscribe
