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Meteor Shower

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Quadrantid Meteor Shower 2013 Peak: Watch!

Catch the peak of the first meteor shower of 2013.

The Quadrantid meteor shower, named for an extinct constellation, peaks in the wee morning hours of Friday, Jan. 4. NASA tells us "The Quadrantids have a maximum rate of about 100 per hour, varying between 60-200. The waxing gibbous moon will set around 3 a.m. local time, leaving about two hours of excellent meteor observing before dawn." The Quadrantids is one of the lesser-known meteor showers of the year, but that doesn't mean it's anything less than spectacular. Take a look at this Quadrantids meteor shower video or these pictures of the Quadrantids. Where to look The best way to spot the meteor shower is to look north (and a little east) and find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) then look farther north (which would be roughly "up" if the …

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Second Meteor Shower Might Join Geminids This Week

NASA says second comet could produce up to 30 meteors per hour.

Sky watchers on Dec. 13 -14 may get a double show. NASA scientists say a second meteor shower may appear near the constellation Pisces, according to NASA Science News. The shower could be active at the same time as the anticipated Geminid, which forecasters say could be the best meteor show of the year. The source of the new shower is Comet Wirtanen, according to  Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Cooke recommends that sky watchers have a meteor night after sunset on Dec. 13 when the criss-crossing debris streams could produce the greatest combined number of shooting stars. He said meteors from the new shower, if they appear, would be visible in the early evening, while the Geminds would be more visible later in the …

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