The Tau Herculid meteor shower, normally very weak, MAY have a strong outburst on the night of May 30-31. Peak time is predicted centered around midnight Central time (on 5/31)
It would be best to watch for at least a couple of hours centered on the peak time, just in case.
If the show does happen, (big if):
the meteors will radiate from a point high in the east, but they should appear all over the sky
it may be a majority of faint meteors so I’d recommend being at least in the dark green zones on this map (blue, gray or black would be even better):
Light Pollution Atlas 2006, 2016 and 2020 - be sure to stay away from local light pollution sources
There are an increasing number of stories online about this, but some of them may be inaccurate, or coming from sources that are not reputable.
Here are some good sources to use:
https://www.rasc.ca/sites/default/files/publications/jrasc2021-apr-lr.pdf - the “Will Comet 73P” story by Joe Rao
www.space.com
earthsky.org
spaceweatherarchive.com
If Monday ends up being a good chase day, and if the big meteor show happens, which one of you will get a picture of a lightning storm (with a sprite or two) and some meteors?
Good luck!
It would be best to watch for at least a couple of hours centered on the peak time, just in case.
If the show does happen, (big if):
the meteors will radiate from a point high in the east, but they should appear all over the sky
it may be a majority of faint meteors so I’d recommend being at least in the dark green zones on this map (blue, gray or black would be even better):
Light Pollution Atlas 2006, 2016 and 2020 - be sure to stay away from local light pollution sources
There are an increasing number of stories online about this, but some of them may be inaccurate, or coming from sources that are not reputable.
Here are some good sources to use:
https://www.rasc.ca/sites/default/files/publications/jrasc2021-apr-lr.pdf - the “Will Comet 73P” story by Joe Rao
A meteor shower outburst from a shattered comet may spawn new tau Herculids display on May 30
The stage is set for a potentially impressive performance.
| EarthSky
earthsky.org
The Tau Herculid Meteor Shower — Possible Outburst
May 25, 2022: In late 1995, Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 exploded. Almost 30 years later, some of the debris might hit Earth. Above: NASA images of Comet 73P still crumbling years after its ini…
spaceweatherarchive.com
If Monday ends up being a good chase day, and if the big meteor show happens, which one of you will get a picture of a lightning storm (with a sprite or two) and some meteors?
Good luck!
