This infrared image from NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope reveals the broken Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3 skimming along a trail of particles left during its multiple trips around the sun. The flame-like items are the comets pieces and their tails, while the dusty comet trail is the line bridging the pieces. Credit: NASA
Astronomers are thrilled about the possibility of a brand-new meteor shower on May 30-31, the tau Herculid shower, forecast to peak on the night of May 30 and morning of May 31.
Back in 1930, German observers Arnold Schwassmann and Arno Arthur Wachmann found a comet called 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, or “SW3, which orbited the Sun every 5.4 years. Being so faint, SW3 wasnt seen once again till the late 1970s, appearing quite regular until 1995, when astronomers realized the comet had actually become about 600 times brighter and went from a faint spot to being visible with the naked eye during its passage. Upon additional investigation, astronomers recognized SW3 had shattered into numerous pieces, cluttering its own orbital path with particles. By the time it passed our method again in 2006, it remained in almost 70 pieces, and has continued to fragment further ever since.
If it makes it to us this year, the particles from SW3 will strike Earths environment extremely gradually, traveling at just 10 miles per 2nd– which suggests much fainter meteors than those coming from the eta Aquariids. North American stargazers are taking specific note this year due to the fact that the tau Herculid radiant will be high in the night sky at the forecast peak time. Even much better, the Moon is brand-new, so there will be no moonlight to clean out the faint meteors.
” This is going to be an all or absolutely nothing event. If the particles from SW3 was taking a trip more than 220 miles per hour when it separated from the comet, we may see a nice meteor shower. If the particles had slower ejection speeds, then nothing will make it to Earth and there will be no meteors from this comet,” said Bill Cooke, who leads NASAs Meteoroid Environment Office at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
All the enjoyment from astronomers and the general public has sparked a lot of details about the tau Herculids. Some has actually been precise, and some has not.
We get excited about meteor showers, too! However sometimes occasions like this dont measure up to expectations– it happened with the 2019 Alpha Monocerotid shower, for example. And some astronomers predict a spectacular display screen of tau Herculids might be “struck or miss.”
So, were encouraging eager skywatchers to channel their inner scientists, and look beyond the headlines. Here are the truths:
The flame-like things are the comets pieces and their tails, while the dusty comet path is the line bridging the fragments. Back in 1930, German observers Arnold Schwassmann and Arno Arthur Wachmann discovered a comet understood as 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, or “SW3, which orbited the Sun every 5.4 years. Being so faint, SW3 wasnt seen again till the late 1970s, appearing pretty normal until 1995, when astronomers realized the comet had become about 600 times brighter and went from a faint spot to being visible with the naked eye throughout its passage. If the particles from SW3 was taking a trip more than 220 miles per hour when it separated from the comet, we may see a great meteor shower. If the particles had slower ejection speeds, then absolutely nothing will make it to Earth and there will be no meteors from this comet,” said Bill Cooke, who leads NASAs Meteoroid Environment Office at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Observers in North America under clear, dark skies have the best opportunity of seeing a tau Herculid shower. The peak time to see is around 1 a.m. on the East Coast or 10 p.m. on the West Coast.
We cant be particular what well see. We can just hope its spectacular.
On the night of May 30 into the early morning of May 31, Earth will pass through the debris routes of a damaged comet called 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, or SW3.
The comet, which got into big fragments back in 1995, will not reach this point in its orbit till August.
, if the pieces from were ejected with speeds higher than two times the regular speeds– quickly enough to reach Earth– we might get a meteor shower.
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Spitzer observations published in 2009 suggest that at least some fragments are moving fast enough. This is one factor why astronomers are excited.
If a meteor shower does occur, the tau Herculids move slowly by meteor requirements– they will be faint.