It’s been a perfect summer for sky watching.
Following on the heels of the comet NEOWSIE – a phenomenon that won’t be seen again on Earth for another 6,000 years – are two meteor showers, with prime Midwest viewing coming soon.
The Southern delta Aquariids(SDA) meteor shower will have peak viewing on July 28-29, while the more famous Perseids meteor shower will peak on the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13.
One of the great things about meteor showers is that you generally don’t need a high-powered telescope or binoculars to see them. You just need to be outside, have a {hopefully} clear sky, and perhaps an alarm clock. Sometimes, the best viewing is in the wee hours of the morning. It also helps to be away from city lights, if possible (which isn’t too hard around Champaign-Urbana).
First up is the Southern delta Aquariids(SDA) meteor shower.
The Southern delta Aquariids(SDA) meteor shower will have peak viewing on July 28-29, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS).
The AMS calls the Southern delta Aquariids a “nice warmup” for the Perseids, which will have its peak viewing on August 11-12 this year.
Here’s the recommendation for viewing strategy for the Southern delta Aquariids, courtesy of the American Meteor Society:
“Your plan to see these meteors would be to observe between the hours of 2-4am local daylight savings time. It doesn’t matter greatly where you live longitudinally, as the radiant reaches its maximum altitude near the same time. … I would suggest facing due south about halfway up in the sky. Don’t stand and watch as you will quickly tire. Lie in a comfortable lounge chair for at least an hour. Since meteor activity is notoriously “clumpy”, there will be peaks and valleys of activity continuously throughout the night. If you watch for a period shorter than 60 minutes, you may find yourself viewing in the middle of a slump of activity. Don’t bother trying to view these meteors prior to 10pm as the source of these meteors lies below the horizon until then.”
Mid-August will bring back the Perseids meteor shower, perhaps one of the best known annual meteor showers to hit the skies. “The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere,” writes the AMS.
According to EarthSky.org, no matter where you live worldwide, the 2020 Perseids meteor shower will probably produce the greatest number of meteors on the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13.
Although the moon will be present, the Perseids tend to be bright, and a “good percentage of them should be able to overcome the moonlight. Who knows? You still might see up to 40 to 50 meteors per hour at the shower’s peak.”
The Perseids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours, though at times it is possible to view meteors from this shower as early as 10 pm, according to NASA. Other tips to help you watch: give your eyes time to adjust to the dark.
The Perseids can be colorful; the tails can appear white, orange, yellow, pink, turquoise and even violet.
A few facts about meteor showers for space watchers of all ages, courtesy of NASA’s Spaceplace website:
- A meteor is a space rock—or meteoroid—that enters Earth’s atmosphere.
- Meteor showers are named for the constellation where the meteors appear to be coming from.
- When Earth encounters many meteoroids at once, we call it a meteor shower.
- Meteoroids are usually small, from dust particle to boulder size. They are almost always small enough to quickly burn up in our atmosphere, so there’s little chance any of them will strike Earth’s surface.
Want to learn more about Prairie Skies? Don’t miss the Staerkel Planetarium’s virtual shows on Friday nights.
For a really dark sky, head to Middlefork River Forest Preserve – the state’s only certified dark park.
For more fun outdoors this summer, check out the Champaign-Urbana ultimate outdoor summer fun guide.