An unprecedented barrage of stars, known as Tau Herculidas, could be seen between the night of Monday, May 30, and the early hours of Tuesday, May 31. This event was expected to happen because Earth passed through debris left by a comet that had been disintegrating for nearly three decades.
Astronomers are eagerly waiting for a spectacular “meteor storm,” but that will depend on a number of factors. “It’s going to be an all-or-nothing event,” says Bill Cook, who heads the Meteorite Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. NASA.
On this note, we tell you all about this meteorite, when and how it can be best appreciated.
Rain of stars, LIVE: Watch YouTube broadcasts and follow minute by minute
In the hope that the barrage of stars will happen, it will be broadcast live on .’s YouTube channel Virtual Telescope ProjectLed by astrophysicist Gianluca Massi. Captures night sky photos from Arizona and Brazil.
Broadcasting started 4.45 am (UTC) From May 31. In Peru local time, the appointment began at 11:45 pm on May 30.
He lives: Hercules Tau meteor shower
The end of the live broadcast
The Virtual Telescope Project has ended its broadcast of the Tau Herculed meteor.
Duration an hour and a half.
Evening summary: The cameras weren’t able to catch many of the shooting stars, but the ones who got out had better luck.
When will the next meteor shower be certain?
Unlike the Tau Herculids, which was an episodic event with reserved forecasts, there are other meteor showers seen every year.
The next meteor shower will be Delta Aquarids, which will reach peak activity on the night of July 29-30.
It will be visible all over the world, but it will be in favor of the southern hemisphere. During this event, about 15 meteors per hour are expected.
Watch the meteor tonight
Hundreds of people, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, reported seeing at least 10 meteors within an hour. Some reach up to 40.
In any case, Tau Herculidas performed as a meteor shower of medium intensity.
It wasn’t the “Storm” we liked, but for many it was worth getting out to watch.
Meteors are too faint to be captured on camera
Another possibility is that the debris penetrated the Earth’s atmosphere, but its slow speed does not make it bright enough to be captured by the camera.
People who live in very dark (with no surface lights) and clear skies may have better vision.
The live broadcast is still going
Astronomer Gianluca Massi continues his live broadcast of clear skies over Brazil and Arizona. A meteor is seen occasionally.
This is how NASA described it, because everything will depend on the speed of the remnant of the comet.
The only thing they can assure us is that Earth will now pass through a cloud of debris from Comet SW3.
Few remnants of the comet managed to penetrate the atmosphere
As expected, there was a chance that the remnants of Comet SW3, which crashed in 1995, might not travel fast enough to penetrate Earth’s atmosphere.
The best prediction was that if the shrapnel exceeded 220 mph or 354 km/h, several hundred of them would be in within an hour or two.
Apparently, this does not happen, since a maximum of one meteor is seen per minute. Sometimes nothing.
Start the live broadcast
The Virtual Telescope Project YouTube channel begins by broadcasting a view of the sky at various points on the planet.
The first meteorites were seen
Meteorologist Tom Wax reported that up to 5 meteors were observed in the last 10 minutes, from Wisconsin, USA.
Ah the wonders of the night sky. I’ve seen about 4-5 meteors in 10 minutes in southeastern Wisconsin. come and go. wonderful. See straight from above. It’s somewhat faint, so let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Get away from the city lights. # Tau of Hercules#meteor showerpic.twitter.com/Z9Z7fqT8fX
The Virtual Telescope Project’s YouTube channel has postponed broadcasting the event by half an hour. Now it will start at 11:30 PM (local time in Peru).
When was the last star storm on Earth?
The last meteor storm occurred in 2002, during the Leonid meteor shower. NASA reports that in rush hour, between 2,300 and 2,700 meteors were seen wandering the sky.
How many meteorites can Tau Herculids produce?
not know exactly. NASA did not provide an exact number and it was kept confidential. However, according to the predictions of famous astronomers, it can be more than 1,000 meteors per hour.
Where can you see a meteor storm?
The astronomical parade can be seen throughout the night side of the planet, that is, throughout America. However, it is people from the northern hemisphere who have the greatest advantage over those from the southern hemisphere.
If that happened, the star storm would not be visible for long.
Unlike meteor showers that are visible days before and after the night’s peak, this show won’t last long if it occurs, experts say.
How many fragments does the parent comet of Tau Herculids have?
Since its explosion in 1995, Comet SW3 has been breaking apart with each pass through the Solar System. It was last seen, in 2017, astronomers counted as many as 68 pieces of debris from its core.
Tau Herculidas can be seen better because it coincides with the new moon
As today and tomorrow, the moon will be in its new moon phase, and the sky will be completely dark, lit only by the brightness of the stars. Darkness is a prerequisite for seeing meteor showers.
Why is it called Tau Herculidas?
It receives this name because it was believed that its radiation (the region of the sky from which meteorites seem to be born) was located near the star Tau herculis, in the constellation Hercules.
However, its true radiance is in the constellation Boyero, just above the star Arcturus.
Why could Tau Herculidas be a meteor storm?
Observations of comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann (SW3) using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope have shown that some of its fragments are moving at speeds above twice the normal speeds.
If this information is accurate, then more than 1,000 meteors per hour can be seen crossing the sky.
If the Tau Hercules meteor shower occurred, would it be visible to the naked eye?
Astronomers expect that this phenomenon can be seen depending on the number and speed of meteorites entering the Earth.
Also, since there is a new moon today and tomorrow, the sky will be dark enough to see the sparkles.
Breaking news 𝗔 𝗧 𝗛 ? On the 31st of next May, there are chances of seeing a new meteor shower, Tau Hercules. Fortunately, it can be wonderful. right or not? Join us online from the comfort of your home and find them together👇https://t.co/84BnnhU2Djpic.twitter.com/vu7GewrnXF
The Tau Herculid meteor shower is so named because its radiation – the part of the sky from which the shine appears – is close to The Tau of Herculesa star in the constellation Hercules.
However, the space object responsible for this celestial phenomenon is actually a comet called 73P / Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (x SW3).
Since its discovery in 1930, SW3 has always been a comet that gives off a very faint glow that can only be observed using special instruments. However, its brightness increased more than 600 times when its heart exploded in 1995 and became visible to the naked eye.
Observations of comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (SW3) by the Virtual Telescope Project. Photo: Gianluca Massi / Bellatrix Observatory / Virtual Telescope Project
Since then, astronomers have recorded an increasing number of comet fragments during each trip through the solar system, that is, every 5.4 years. In its last move, in 2017, it was estimated that there are up to 68 wrecks It is different from the culprit.
“If debris from SW3 was traveling faster than 220 miles per hour when it separated from the comet, we might see a nice meteor shower. If the debris had slower ejection velocities, nothing would reach Earth and there would be no meteors from that comet,” says Cook.
At best, this could be a meteor storm About 1,000 meteors per hour. The last time something like this was seen was in 2002, during unusual activity in the Leonid meteor shower.
you can see: Tau Herculids Meteor Shower 2022: How and when do you see the meteor shower from my country
Tau Herculidas: What time to see a meteor shower today?
It is estimated that the peak of the meteor shower will occur at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, UTC. However, due to the time difference, some countries will be able to see it from the night before.
in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico11:00 p.m. on May 30th.
in Chile, Venezuela and Paraguayat midnight.
in Argentina and Uruguay1:00 a.m. on May 31.
This phenomenon is expected to last between one and two hours, unlike other meteor showers, which are usually observed until dawn.
Where will the meteor shower of comet SW3 be seen?
Should this occur, the Tau Herculidas meteor shower can be enjoyed throughout the night part of the planet during prime hour of the event. That is, throughout the American continent. However, his estimate would be better if the observer was in the northern hemisphere.
This is because, at the time of the prediction and in that part of the globe, the radiation will be higher in the sky, and therefore, you will have a better view of how meteors cross the night sky in all directions.
If it did, the Tau Herculids meteor shower would be visible to the naked eye across the planet, but the Northern Hemisphere would have a greater advantage in seeing it. Photo: StarWalk
How do you see the Tau Herculidae meteor shower?
To see any meteor shower, it is essential that you are located in an area free from light pollution such as the countryside. In this opportunity, the date of the event will coincide with the phase of the new moon, so the sky will be quite dark and provide a better chance of seeing you.
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