With four current meteor showers happening right now, there is a good chance for people in north-central Kansas to catch a glimpse of “shooting stars” streaking across the sky.
Here’s a look at how, when and maybe where to see meteors in the next few weeks and into the end of 2024 in central Kansas.
What are meteors and why do they appear?
Meteors are the light emitted from meteoroids as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
According to the American Meteor Society, (AMS) a meteoroid can be up to 1 meter in size and typically come from fragments of larger asteroids or, more likely, comets.
While they can be larger, the society said most visible meteors are caused by particles that are around the size of a small pebble to a grain of sand.
“When the meteoroid collides with air molecules, its high level of kinetic energy rapidly ionizes and excites a long, thin column of atmospheric atoms along the meteoroid’s path, creating a flash of light visible from the ground below,” the society said.
Which meteor showers are happening and coming up?
According to the AMS, there are four active meteor showers right now and two still to come before the end of 2024.
The Orionids, which are the result of particles from Halley’s Comet, will remain active until Nov. 22. As the name suggests, they radiate from the constellation Orion.
Both the Northern and Southern Taurids come from Comet Encke and will remain active until Dec. 2 and Dec. 8, respectively, radiating from just above Taurus with the Northern shower radiating close to the Pleiades cluster.
The Leonids, coming from Comet Tempel-Tuttle, will stay active until Dec. 2. Although the peak of this shower, which radiates from Leo, will take place on the night of Nov. 16 into 17, the moon will be 98%, which may prevent some of the best views of it at that time.
In December, two showers will take place, including what AMS said is usually the strongest meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, which will be active between Dec. 2 and Dec. 21.
This shower, which comes from an asteroid rather than a comet and radiates from the Gemini constellation, is expected to peak on the night of Dec. 12 and 13.
“The Geminids are often bright and intensely colored. Due to their medium-slow velocity, persistent trains are not usually seen,” AMS said.
Finally, the Ursids, which comes from the Comet Tuttle and radiates between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, or the Big and Little Dipper, will peak on the night of Dec. 21 and 22.
What is the best time and where is the best place to look for meteors?
Having some knowledge of the night sky is always recommended before going out and looking for meteors, particularly as most are associated with the position of a constellation.
There are several phone apps available that will give users the ability to find the specific constellation. The Salina Astronomy Club‘s website recommends Stellarium, which has apps for desktop, tablets, phones or even on a web browser.
While meteors can be seen at anytime of night, AMS said it is more likely that meteors will be seen in the hours before sunrise as opposed to the hours after sunset.
“This is due to the motion of the Earth as it revolves around the sun, with the leading edge (morning side) of the Earth encountering more meteoroids than the trailing edge (evening side),” AMS said. “Many meteor shower radiants do not rise before midnight, making most meteor showers best between midnight and morning twilight.”
When going out to look for meteors, it is recommended to move away from light pollution. For those in north-central Kansas, this means typically traveling north or west to more remote areas with less population and way from city lights.
After finding a place to observe the shower, AMS said to allow time for eyes to adjust to dark conditions.
It is best to observe meteors from a reclining position, such as in a lawn chair or sleeping bag with eyes directed about 45 degrees above the horizon in the general direction of the shower radiant.
“The use of all lights should be minimized, with only dim, red pen-lights or flash-lights used sparingly,” AMS said.
Finally, AMS said the most important thing about observing meteors is practicing patience.
“Most meteor showers will not produce a spectacular display, but will instead produce a steady, reliable show — sometimes with a few surprises,” AMS said. “Meteor watching is like watching a graceful, natural fireworks display, and you never know when or how bright the next ‘shot’ will be.”
As reported in the Salina Journal
