Basics of Meteor Observing Nov 18, 2009
Here are a few hints to enhance your meteor-watching experience ... Meteor watching is one of the easiest forms of astronomy ... The simplest project is just to count the number of "shower" (S) and "non-shower" (NS) meteors that you see. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Leonid meteor shower about to peak over U.S., Asia Nov 17, 2009
Leonid meteor shower to peak Tuesday - CNN.com ... Leonid meteor shower to peak Tuesday ... NASA says that this year's Leonid meteor shower will be light over the United States and heavier over Asia. (CNN)
The darkness Nov 17, 2009
It also provides ring-side seats for spectacular meteor showers. This sky there is "as dark as anything you will ever see" says Mr Owens. (BBC News -- UK)
Light Show: Meteor Shower Fills Skies Tonight Nov 17, 2009
Leonid Meteor Shower 2009 - ABC News ... Leonid Meteor Shower Puts on Show Overnight ... "Meteor showers are now very predictible," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, who's worked to create complex computer models of the behavior of comets and the material that escapes from them. (ABC News)
Rosetta swingby may help solve cosmic mystery Nov 17, 2009
" Rosetta, comprising an orbiter and a lander, will be the first spacecraft to undertake long-term exploration of a comet. Launched in 2004, it will reach comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014, studying it for around two years as it careers towards the Sun. 2010 Yearbook Our latest 132-page Astronomy Now special edition is an extravaganza of astronomy for the year ahead, with a complete 30-page guide to observing the planets, moon, meteor showers, two solar eclipses, and the deep sky in 2010.... (Astronomy Now Online)
Meteor shower is returning Nov 17, 2009
Debris from centuries ago will create a light show 60 miles overhead early Tuesday as the Leonids meteor shower makes its annual return ... The meteor shower should peak around 4 a.m. Tuesday, with about 25 meteors per hour, said Bill Cooke of the Meteoroid Environment Office of NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center ... The meteors come from the orbiting remains of what was left by the passing of the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, he said. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Leonid meteor shower to peak Nov 17, 2009
NASA says that this year's Leonid meteor shower will be light over the United States and heavier over Asia ... This year's Leonid meteor shower will peak at 4 a.m. Tuesday over the United States ... Shower will be lighter than in previous years, with 20 to 30 meteors per hour in the U.S.. (CNN -- International)
UGA Observatory to host open house tonight Nov 16, 2009
com Meteors will streak through the sky over Athens tonight, and observers can get a close-up look at those spectacular sparks at the University of Georgia Observatory - if the weather cooperates. Will coincide with meteor shower ... Meteors will streak through the sky over Athens tonight, and observers can get a close-up look at those spectacular sparks at the University of Georgia Observatory - if the weather cooperates. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Stay up late for Leonid meteor show Nov 16, 2009
The Leonid meteor shower will be at its viewing best that night, starting around midnight. The annual event, named for the constellation Leo, is a light show of comet crumbs caught up in the Earth s gravitational pull as the planet swings through the debris field. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Looking Up: Lions share of meteors Nov 14, 2009
Looking Up: Lions share of meteors - Belmont, MA - Belmont Citizen-Herald ... These are artistic representation of Leonid meteor storms of 1833 (right) and 1866 (left) ... These famous events produced thousands of meteors an hour, startling and frightening the masses. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Promising meteor show Nov 14, 2009
Stay up late: Meteor showers peak between midnight and dawn ... Look around: Meteors may radiate from one point, but they can flash anywhere in sky ... When people hear about an impending meteor shower, their first impression may be of a sky filled with shooting stars pouring down through the sky like rain. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Will Leonids "Storm" for North America? Nov 12, 2009
A 'meteor's-eye view' shows how Earth will be oriented for the first expected peak of the Leonid shower on November 18, 2001, at about 5 a.m. EST (2 a.m. PST) ... While the entire hemisphere will experience the shower, meteors will only be visible in the nighttime region on the left ... A new analysis of past Leonid activity suggests that next weekend's much-anticipated event may bring skywatchers in North America their most dramatic meteor "storm" in 35 years. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
2012 looms but don't panic Nov 11, 2009
While its not clear what is meant to cause the end of the world as we know it, theories range from a collision with another planet, a magnetic polar switch, giant solar storms, a massive meteor to the reversal of Earth's rotation, stimulating massive earthquake activity. Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012,'' NASA. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
Being neighbour with aliens? Nov 10, 2009
"UFO prediction is different from meteor shower," Zhang said. "I can predict when a UFO comes, but I cannot be sure they are in the right location where we can see them.". (Xinhuanet, China)
This Week's Sky at a Glance Nov 10, 2009
Taurid fireballs The long-lasting Taurid meteor shower is like no other. Its numbers of meteors are low, but many of them are bright, slow-moving fireballs ... They should continue through at least Thursday, and (unlike most meteors) are as likely to be seen in the evening as the morning. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Adirondacks: Stargazing parties, holiday events Nov 10, 2009
The Adirondack Loj in Lake Placid is planning a Meteor Mania event starting at 10 p.m. Nov. 17, when experts are forecasting a meteor shower will take place. The Loj will also have a telescope available for viewing Jupiter. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Will the Leonids Roar Again? Nov 7, 2009
About a decade ago, mid-November's normally benign Leonid meteor shower exploded like fireworks into prominence, giving us dazzling displays of shooting stars almost too numerous to count. During the four evenings of November 16 19, 2008, Chris Peterson recorded 141 meteors during the Leonid meteor shower ... In 1999, I was flying in a research jet in the darkness over Sicily with a team of NASA scientists and veteran amateur meteor counters. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Strong Leonid meteor showers expected Nov 3, 2009
Circle Nov. 17 on your calendar, for early that morning a moderate to possibly very strong showing of annual Leonid meteor shower is likely ... In this region, meteor rates might briefly rise to a few hundred per hour (the time frame for the most intense activity is anticipated sometime around 21:40 GMT) ... A meteor shower's radiant is the perspective point from which all the meteors would appear to originate if their paths were traced backward far enough. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Leonids meteors light up November skies Nov 1, 2009
Yet, November offers a chance to stay out and enjoy a very special kind of shower: the Leonids Meteor Shower. A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the dusty debris left over from the passage of a comet ... Most meteors are no larger than a grain of sand. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
New Wrinkle In Ancient Ocean Chemistry Oct 30, 2009
30, 2009) Scientists widely accept that around 2. 4 billion years ago, the Earth's atmosphere underwent a dramatic change when oxygen levels rose sharply. (Science Daily)
Asteroid explosion was a whopper for Earth Oct 30, 2009
Preliminary investigation A preliminary look at the incident has been performed by Canadian researchers Peter Brown and graduate student Elizabeth Silber, of the Meteor Infrasound group in the department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario ... "Almost certainly it was detected and presumably immediately identified as an explosion of a large meteoroid rather than, say, an explosion of a human-made device in the atmosphere," Chapman figures. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Cosmic Blast Rattles Indonesia Oct 28, 2009
If that value is correct, this was the most powerful meteoric blast since 1994, when a "mini-Tunguska," nearly as bright as the Sun, exploded over the tiny Pacific island of Kosrae ... But no one has yet claimed to have found any meteorites, according to Thomas Djamaluddin, a government scientist who's been monitoring the situation ... Do they share orbital characteristics, and could this be a good day for future meteor watches. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Behold, Son of Balloon Boy Oct 27, 2009
Latvian Meteor a Marketing Hoax ... A giant crater in Latvia that may have been caused by a meteorite ... RIGA, Latvia A Latvian telecommunications firm has confessed to creating the meteor hoax. (Fox News)
Doubts over Latvia 'meteor crash' Oct 27, 2009
Doubts over Latvia 'meteor crash ... Scientists investigating a large crater in a field in northern Latvia, believed to have been caused by a meteorite, now suspect it was a hoax ... The hole was too tidy to have been caused by a meteorite, he said. (BBC News -- Europe)
Latvian Meteor a Marketing Hoax Oct 27, 2009
A giant crater in Latvia that may have been caused by a meteorite. RIGA, Latvia A Latvian telecommunications firm has confessed to creating the meteor hoax ... According to LETA, , local firm Tele2 owned up to inventing the entire meteor scam in an effort to put Latvia on the map. (Fox News)
Probe uncovers Mercury's youthful secret Oct 23, 2009
The main difference is that the inner ring of Twin is pocked by very few small craters, indicating that it has not been exposed to meteor bombardment for as long as Raditladi. There s only one thing that could resurface part of the floor of an impact crater that recently. (Scientific American)
How to Watch Tonight's Orionid Meteor Shower Oct 22, 2009
The radiant of the Orionid meteor shower is in the constellation of Orion, the Hunter ... The Orionid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show tonight for viewers across North America, lasting well into the predawn hours Wednesday weather permitting ... "Flakes of comet dust hitting the atmosphere should give us dozens of meteors per hour," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. (Fox News)
2009 Orionid Meteor Shower Peak Begins Oct 21, 2009
Spawned by Halley's , which last buzzed the planet in 1986, the tiny space rocks are the seeds of the annual Orionid meteor shower ... At its peak before sunrise Wednesday morning, the Orionids shower should produce 20 to 25 meteors an hour a "relatively decent show," according to astronomer Anita Cochran, of the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory ... The Orionids are so named because the meteors appear to radiate from near the constellation Orion, aka the Hunter. (National Geographic)
NASA delays Nov. shuttle launch for test flight Oct 20, 2009
Making matters more convoluted are meteor showers that peak in November and December, as well as a space station crew rotation scheduled for December. NASA is currently working Atlantis' flight around as well. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Observatory plans free open house Oct 17, 2009
The Nov. 16 date falls on Monday, right in the middle of the Leonid Meteor Shower. Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, October 17, 2009. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Orionids Meteor Shower Starts This Weekend Oct 17, 2009
Spawned by Halley's , which last buzzed the planet in 1986, tiny space rocks are the seeds of the annual Orionid meteor shower ... At its peak on Wednesday night, the Orionids shower should produce 20 to 25 meteors an hour a "relatively decent show," according to astronomer Anita Cochran, of the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory ... While the Orionids are not as flashy as some other meteor showers, she said, "it's a known shower that comes along regularly, and the moon will be... (National Geographic)
Looking Up: Clouds come and go, but stars shine on Oct 17, 2009
If you are tired of earthly showers, hopefully the clouds will part long enough for you to see the meteor shower that arrives every mid-October. This is the Orionid Meteor Shower ... In the wee hours between midnight and dawn, when Orion reaches high, you will see the most meteors darting across the heavens. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
> read more Oct 17, 2009
The Orionid meteor shower is active in the early mornings this week, probably peaking on the morning of Wednesday the 21st ... Under a dark sky you might see up to 30 meteors per hour in the hours before dawn but no guarantees. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
FIREBALL PICTURE: Meteor Explodes Over the Netherlands Oct 16, 2009
The object was most likely a rogue that disintegrated shortly after hitting Earth's atmosphere, say experts, who speculate that pieces of the meteor may have landed in the North Sea (). "Indeed it was a huge event," said , of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute at the University of Groningen. (National Geographic)
Kids design their own heroes in 'Spore' spinoff Oct 16, 2009
The game starts with your embryonic hero hurtling out of space, cocooned inside a blue meteor, and smashing onto the surface of a planet inhabited by friendly creatures ... A red meteor filled with an evil nemesis has also landed ... These dual meteoric impacts have scattered both blue (good) and red (bad) shards throughout this planet; and these magical shards affect the planet's inhabitants. (USA Today -- Tech)
Shuttle Atlantis moves to launch pad for flight Oct 15, 2009
The agency is also watching the Leonids meteor shower, which is expected to peak Nov. 17, to be sure Atlantis doesn't launch at the shower's height. NASA is hopeful that it can get at least three launch attempts for Atlantis in November, before standing down around Nov. 19 or 20 due to unfavorable sun angles , which can cause heating and power concerns, agency officials said. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Big Boss of the Day Oct 13, 2009
In order to accomplish his goal, Sephiroth aims to summon Meteor to wound the planet ... Rather than being harnessed by Sephiroth the Lifestream emerges and destroys Meteor ... Sephiroth came within moments of succeeding in his plan to summon the creature Meteor to scar the planet and merge with the resulting surge of Lifestream. (IGN PS2)
Lunar prospecting: Probe ready to touch Moon water Oct 12, 2009
The high concentrations were centered on permanently shadowed craters, lightless meteor impact sites that are unimagineably cold. "And by cold, I mean cold," says Tony Colaprete, the mission's principal investigator from Ames. (Astronomy Now Online)
2012 isn't the end of the world, Mayans insist Oct 11, 2009
Archaeologists, astronomers and modern-day Mayas shrug off the popular frenzy over the date of 2012, predicting it will bring nothing more than a meteor shower of new-age "consciousness," pseudo-science and alarmist television specials ... Next month Hollywood's "2012" opens in cinemas, featuring earthquakes, meteor showers and a tsunami dumping an aircraft carrier on the White House ... But most archaeologists, astronomers and Maya say the only thing likely to hit Earth is a meteor shower of... (USA Today)
Even the Maya are getting sick of 2012 hype Oct 11, 2009
Next month, Hollywood's "2012" opens in cinemas, featuring earthquakes, meteor showers and a tsunami dumping an aircraft carrier on the White House ... But most archaeologists, astronomers and Maya Indians say the only thing likely to hit Earth is a meteor shower of New Age philosophy, pop astronomy, Internet doomsday rumors and TV specials such as one on the History Channel that mixes predictions from Nostradamus and the Maya and asks: "Is 2012 the year the cosmic clock finally winds down... (MSNBC -- Environment)
Scientists spot massive ring around Saturn Oct 8, 2009
Ring material may come from comet, meteor collisions with moon Phoebe. (CNN) -- Scientists at NASA have discovered a nearly invisible ring around Saturn -- one so large that it would take 1 billion Earths to fill it. (CNN -- Tech)
End-of-the-world feature film that critics say is disaster all by itself. See the hilarious trailer here... Oct 5, 2009
The world ravaged by fires, earthquakes, meteor showers and floods and a heroic struggle for survivors ... Seconds later, his words come back to haunt him as hundreds of giant meteor balls of fire rain down on the planet. (The Drudge Report)
Quick Rebound From Marine Mass Extinction Oct 3, 2009
24, 2006) There's growing evidence that the dinosaurs and most their contemporaries were not wiped out by the famed Chicxulub meteor impact, according to a paleontologist who says multiple meteor impacts. . (Science Daily)
Meteors, traffic jeopardize Atlantis launch Oct 2, 2009
CAPE CANAVERAL -- Two planned rocket launches, short shuttle launch windows, traffic congestion at the International Space Station and two meteor showers could conspire to push space shuttle Atlantis' planned November flight into the new year ... The annual Leonids meteor shower will peak on Nov. 17; the Geminids will peak Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 ... The showers will produce hundreds of meteoroids per hour. (Florida Today)
NYC's famed Four Seasons restaurant gets new chef Oct 2, 2009
"Meteor": The NBC mini- series is a throwback to 1950s disaster movies. "Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fifth Season": You can get caught up with the antics on Wisteria Lane. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
LOOKING UP: Autumns stars are in view Sep 30, 2009
In mid-October, a strong meteor shower known as the Orionids sends bright streaks across the fall heavens. This year, brilliant planet Jupiter prevails like a champion reigning in the southern sky. (Medfield Press, MA)
Water Found on Moon, Probes Report Sep 25, 2009
One theory that is fairly widely accepted is that when the earth was forming, it was hit by a gigantic meteor. This caused a huge ring around the earth of particles blown into space which eventually coelesced and formed our moon. (CBS News)
Ice discovery points to wet past on Mars Sep 25, 2009
Cameras orbiting Mars have uncovered ice inside meteor craters, halfway between the north pole and the equator, a finding that gives scientists more clues about climate changes on the Red Planet ... Then, in early 2008, meteorites hit Mars. (AZCentral)
Did comet crashes help spark Earth life? Sep 25, 2009
There is evidence from meteorite studies that amino acids may have been from space ... One way to get around this is to make the amino acids in space and have them come crashing down on-board meteorites and comets ... There is ample evidence that meteorites carry amino acids. (MSNBC -- Technology)
October skywatch: Meteor shower Sep 23, 2009
Although the Orionid meteor shower is spread over several nights, it peaks between 2 a.m. and dawn on Oct. 21. You might see 20 or more meteors an hour if the weather is clear and you're observing away from the glare of urban light pollution ... To tell if a meteor is an Orionid, trace its path backward. (AZCentral -- Travel)
Gotcha! Jupiter turned comet into a moon Sep 15, 2009
An international team led by Katsuhito Ohtsuka of the Tokyo Meteor Network modeled the trajectories of 18 "quasi-Hilda comets," objects with the potential to go through a temporary satellite capture by Jupiter that results in them either leaving or joining the "Hilda" group of objects in the asteroid belt. Most of the cases of temporary capture were flybys, where the comets did not complete a full orbit. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Jupiter Turned Comet Into "Moon" for 12 Years Sep 15, 2009
In 1949 the massive planet's gravity pulled in comet 147P/Kushida-Muramatsu and held it in orbit until 1961, according to an international team led by Katsuhito Ohtsuka of the Tokyo Meteor Network. SHARE RELATED. (National Geographic)
Astronomers gather in Millbrae Sep 11, 2009
Inside the hotel, speakers such as Peter Jenniskens, a noted meteor expert, will describe his recent asteroid-hunting expedition to Sudan. Jenniskens is an astronomer at the SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Observatory sets fall viewing nights Sep 6, 2009
The University of Georgia Observatory will start its fall season of free public viewing nights at 9 p.m. Sept. 18, and this year will hold an open house on a Monday night to view a meteor shower ... The Nov. 16 date falls on Monday, right in the middle of the Leonid Meteor Shower. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Lindgren travels to Houston for NASA program Sep 5, 2009
During his July trip to NASA, Lindgren said he got a thrill with he ran into a man he called one of my heroes, in a nearby Wendy s restaurant David McKay, a scientist who found evidence of fossilized bacteria life on a meteor that had come from Mars. He started a whole now revolution on how small a bacteria can be and still be alive, Lindgren said. (Scituate Mariner, MA)
Seeking Warning Signs for Catastrophic Tipping Points Sep 4, 2009
So IMHO it looks pretty ugly, forecast or no forecast - I ll take Ye Big Whipeout (be it comet, meteor, planetary heads on collision, black hole, Big Bang II) anyday. Posted by: NoahB416 09/3/09 11:24 am. (Newsmax)
Perseids light up the sky (12) Aug 30, 2009
FACING NORTHEAST, this map shows Perseus, the constellation from which the the Perseid Meteor Shower appears to radiate ... Amateur astronomers and anyone who enjoys stargazing should plan to spend some time with eyes fixed toward the heavens this week, when the Perseid Meteor Shower will be most visible in North America ... Scientists say during that timeframe, the earth will be passing the densest area of the shower where dozens of meteors could be visible each hour. (Sonoma Index-Tribune, CA)
* Mad for Mars Aug 25, 2009
The place was Canadas Devon Island, which hasnt made much news outside musk oxen circles since a meteor fell on it 20 million years ago. Their assignment: Pretend theyre on Mars. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Study of extremes Aug 24, 2009
Charles O'Rear / CorbisIts believed that the massive Barringer Crater in the Arizona desert some 4,000 feet across, and nearly 600 feet deep was formed by a meteor impact 50,000 years ago. Fortunately, thanks to the work of conservationists and the National Parks Service, the dramatic landscapes of all the top wonders have been preserved, along with the lesser-known national treasures, like the shimmering shores of the Great Salt Lake or the subterranean marvels of The Lost Sea. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Summertime and the living is (un)easy Aug 17, 2009
At the Denver airport, I discovered that I was returning home at the moment of the annual Perseid meteor shower. So as soon as I had washed up my little plate and fork, I gathered a blanket and pillow and drove out north of Bismarck to an undisclosed meteor-viewing location and lay flat on my back on the prairie I love more than Paris, Alaska, Santorini, London or Montana ... It turned out to be a mediocre meteor shower (a modest burst every 10 minutes or so and a few spectacular strikes in two... (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Meteor shower tonight (78) Aug 16, 2009
Meteor shower tonight ... News Featured Sections Meteor shower tonight ... (0) Meteor shower tonight Saturday, August 15, 2009 Every year in mid-August, the Perseid meteor shower peaks with a dazzling show of fiery falling stars. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Joe Orso: Finding our health care in the sky Aug 16, 2009
Although my companions and I had gone out to see the meteor showers and not the moon that night, we admired her majesty, too ... I confused a firefly for a meteor, and my fianc; noted how the bugs must be especially delighted to see themselves reflected by the sky like that. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
LOOKING UP: Meteors raining down this week Aug 15, 2009
This artist illustration depicts the unusually strong display of meteors seen in 1833, from the Leonid Meteor Shower. Great amounts of meteors are seen on rare occasions from this shower, which peaks in November ... Perseid meteor time is upon us. (Medfield Press, MA)
Chris Peterson Aug 14, 2009
This year saw an excellent Perseid meteor shower peak on the evening of Aug 11/12 ... This very slow meteor occurred at 2:28 am MDT. See about this fireball, featuring a video of the event ... This year saw a fairly nice Lyrid meteor shower display. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Perseids: What They Are, How to Watch the Meteors, More Aug 13, 2009
The Perseid meteor shower peaks this week, and in the Northern Hemisphere the Perseids may be the best or at least most convenient meteor-watching event of the year () ... What's a Meteor Shower ... Like all meteor showers, the Perseids are set in motion when a comet leaves behind a trail of rocky debris, or meteoroids, as the icy orbiter circles the sun (). (National Geographic)
