upcoming meteor shower?

Question

I heard there is going to be a meteor shower visible in Australia, but does anyone know what day?

Answer 1

November: Leonids:
November boasts the Leonids, peaking on November 19th. The Leonids meteor shower is probably the most famous meteor shower of all after the high hourly rates of a few years ago. This shower was the result of the Earth's passage through the dust and debris left by the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle returns to the inner solar system every 33 years. Each time it passes through our part of the solar system, it leaves a trail of dust along its path. These small grains of dust are what become such bright and beautiful meteors in our skies.

In 2006 the Leonids will certainly not be at meteor storm levels, but there is a reasonably good chance we'll see somewhat higher than average hourly rates, as many as 150 per hour. Fortunately the Moon will not obscure any of these meteors for us this year.

You should really try to catch the Leonids in 2006 as this is your last chance to observe any heightened Leonid activity for many, many years. Studies have shown that no Leonid storms will occur in either 2033 or 2066. We will have to wait until 2099 for a return of the activity recently seen during the past few years.


November : Alpha Monocerotids:
Just a couple days after the Leonids, the Alpha Monocerotids will peak on the 21st. This is a minor shower that has produced large, albeit brief, outbursts in the past, with the last outburst occurring in 1999. While observers around the world may want to watch for an outburst, those in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Eastern Africa are more favored.


December: Geminids:
The annual Geminid meteor shower will peak on the night of December 14th. This shower is often one of the better showers since as many as 100 meteors per hour may be seen. This is an unusual shower in that the source of the shower is not believed to be a comet, but rather from an object known as 3200 Phaethon. This object is currently classified as an asteroid, but some scientists believe that it might be an extinct comet with a thick crust of interplanetary dust.

Another thing that makes the Geminids unusual is that one doesn't have to wait until after midnight to catch this shower. The radiant rises early and meteors can be seen around 10:00 PM local time, but the best view will still be after midnight local time. This shower also boasts a broad maximum, lasting nearly one whole day, so usually no matter where you live, you stand a decent chance of catching sight of some Geminids. Fortunately, the 33% illuminated Moon rises about 1 AM and will obscure only the dimmest of the Geminids in 2006.

The Geminids are characterized by their multi-colored display--65% being white, 26% yellow, and the remaining 9% blue, red and green.


December: Ursids:
The Ursids peak on December 22 and have a peak hourly rate of 10 or so, but in some years the hourly peak has risen as high as 50. The Moon will not offer any interference this year, so 2006 is a great year to try to catch some Ursids.


January 2007: Quadrantids:
Typically, 40 or so bright, blue and fast (25.5 miles per second) meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, some blazing more than halfway across the sky. A small percentage of them leave persistent dust trains. This shower usually has a very sharp peak, usually lasting only about an hour.


Enjoy! Meteor-watching is a great thing to do with friends and family. My kids have lived thier lives being woken up in deep hours of the night, wrapped in blankets and hustled outside to watch the meteors or a comet or something up in the sky.

Answer 2

Yes, there is an upcoming meteor shower. It is called the Leonids. It will be occuring on Friday night November 17th into the morning of Saturday November 18th. The Leonids are one of the 8 major meteor showers.(The others occuring in December, January, April, May, July, August, and October.) Also, the Leonids are in the top half for active meteor showers. They are also known to break out in meteor storms, which is if you find a dark enough spot, it will look like it is raining meteors. Last time that occured was in 2002, so we could be due for one. Should be exciting!

Answer 3

I believe it is on November 18th, from dusk until dawn! Let's hope the skies are clear!