Some sky-gazers may see a dazzling meteor shower coincide with a total solar eclipse in a rare celestial alignment this week.
The Perseid meteor shower will be visible on Wednesday night and before dawn Thursday morning, reaching its expected peak — or point of maximum meteor activity — on Thursday at 10:53 a.m. ET, according to EarthSky. It is best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, according to NASA. Meanwhile, a total solar eclipse also will pass over parts of the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun’s light and briefly darkening the sky, a moment called totality. Millions of people will be able to experience totality along its path as it crosses major viewing locations such as parts of Iceland, northern Spain and northeastern Portugal. Other regions of the world — including the northern United States, Canada, northwest Africa and much of Europe — will be in for a partial eclipse in which only part of the sun’s light is blocked.
The meteor shower peak and solar eclipse occurring so close together is extremely rare, said Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society.
Solar eclipses always happen during a new moon, a lunar phase that occurs when the moon is positioned between the sun and Earth. As a result, there will be little to no moonlight, which will enhance meteor visibility.
Observers in locations that will experience the total solar eclipse may even see meteors during totality, according to EarthSky.
What are the Perseids?
The Perseid meteor shower is considered the best meteor shower to observe, according to NASA. Observations of the Perseids go back more than 2,000 years, with meteors radiating from the constellation of Perseus.
This shower is also known for featuring fireballs, meteors that are exceptionally bright and are visible for longer than other meteors. When traveling at fast rates, these fireballs create glowing, colorful smoke trails made of vaporized dust particles that leave streaks across the sky, Lunsford said.
From rural locations across the northern United States, observers may see around 30 to 50 meteors per hour, while those in urban locations may see 15 to 25, according to Lunsford. In previous years, there have been reports of up to 90 visible meteors per hour, according to EarthSky. But experts warn that meteors can be difficult to glimpse, given that they travel at such high speeds.
“If you look in one direction, you’re going to miss the ones behind you, “ said Dr. Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. “More realistically, if you are in a dark sky site, you’re going to see between 30 and 50.”
The parent comet of the Perseids — the comet that sheds particles resulting in the meteor shower — is 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun about every 133 years. The comet itself will not be visible.
The Perseids are not the only meteor shower that is currently active. The Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricorniids peaked in late July but remain active until mid to late August.
What can we learn from meteor showers?
Meteor showers provide stunning sights, but they also give sky-gazers and experts alike an opportunity to learn about our solar system.
Keeping track of comets can help researchers to understand space navigation.
“These are leftover chunks from the formation of our solar system,” Schmoll said. “The more we can study them and know when they’re coming back helps us understand that as well as check for how close will it get to us. Do we need to take any measures to push it out of the way?”
Meteor showers also give sky-gazers the opportunity to connect with our solar system.
It’s a “reminder that we are not just alone on our planet,” Schmoll said. We’re “a part of something bigger.”
Upcoming meteor showers
There are more meteor showers ahead this year. Here are their peak dates, according to the American Meteor Society.
- Orionids: October 21-22
- Southern Taurids: November 4-5
- Northern Taurids: November 11-12
- Leonids: November 16-17
- Geminids: December 13-14
- Ursids: December 21-22
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