Post by kriss on May 28, 2022 21:23:57 GMT -5
A rare meteor storm may take place over Memorial Day weekend
Meteor showers are among the most enjoyable astronomy events with shooting stars streaking through the sky as Earth plows through a field of debris left behind by a comet. Most meteor showers throughout the year are predictable, but the end of Memorial Day weekend will bring a celestial wild card that could outshine every other meteor shower of 2022. Or it may not.
On Monday night into Tuesday morning, the Earth may cross paths with the remnants of comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann (SW3), a defunct comet that broke apart in 1995. After SW3 splintered into countless pieces nearly three decades ago, debris from the breakup could intersect the Earth at the end of Memorial Day weekend. If this comes to fruition, it could spark a brief but intense meteor shower over North America.
The viewing window for the potential meteor storm is anticipated to last only about 30 minutes, spanning from 12:45 to 1:17 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 31, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS). “We believe that this event has a chance of being something spectacular,” the AMS explained on its website. “When viewing events such as these, one should expect nothing extraordinary to happen but certainly hope for the best!”
Meteor showers are among the most enjoyable astronomy events with shooting stars streaking through the sky as Earth plows through a field of debris left behind by a comet. Most meteor showers throughout the year are predictable, but the end of Memorial Day weekend will bring a celestial wild card that could outshine every other meteor shower of 2022. Or it may not.
On Monday night into Tuesday morning, the Earth may cross paths with the remnants of comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann (SW3), a defunct comet that broke apart in 1995. After SW3 splintered into countless pieces nearly three decades ago, debris from the breakup could intersect the Earth at the end of Memorial Day weekend. If this comes to fruition, it could spark a brief but intense meteor shower over North America.
The viewing window for the potential meteor storm is anticipated to last only about 30 minutes, spanning from 12:45 to 1:17 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 31, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS). “We believe that this event has a chance of being something spectacular,” the AMS explained on its website. “When viewing events such as these, one should expect nothing extraordinary to happen but certainly hope for the best!”
