Listen - Sponsor - Stations


Home Page
Return Home
Future & Past Guests
Affiliate Syndication
About Bryant McGill
Meet Your Co-Hosts
Friends of McGill Live
Event Photographs
Program Archives
OUR COMMUNITY
Request an Interview
Sponsor Information
Apply to be a Guest
Guestbook & Comments
Contact Us
Other Features
McGill's Online Works
Featured Treaty Signers
Vision Board
Int'l Photo Journal
Universality of Suffering
Books by Guests
Night Riders Magazine
Xammon Magazine
GUEST WEBSEARCH
Links, Media & info
Media Links
Top News Stories
World News Archives
External McGill Sites
Bryant's Official Site
The Goodwill Treaty
McGill Charities
Candle Vigils
Give Yourself
No Secrets, No Fear

Carmen Electra
Michael Jackson
Matt Damon
Montel Williams
Ray Romano
Evander Holyfield
Me & Cheech
Ray Lewis
Boomer


Light a Candle
Heal the World



Interesting World News


Discuss this Article | Post Another Article for Discussion

Meteors from Halley's Comet: the eta Aquarids

May 5, 2005
Space Weather

The eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on May 5th and 6th. The best time to look, no matter where you live, is during the hours before local sunrise on both days.

This is mainly a southern hemisphere shower, but northern observers can see it, too. In the United States, for example, observers far from city lights might see 5 to 10 meteors per hour. In Australia or South America, rates are better, between 15 and 60 meteors per hour.

This year (2005) the eta Aquarid meteors will be streaming from a point in the sky coincidentally close to Mars. The red planet, which is approaching Earth for a close encounter in October 2005, is already eye-catching. Northern observers, step outside before sunrise, face east, and this is what you'll see:Eta Aquarid meteors come from the most famous comet of all: Halley's Comet. Our planet passes close to the orbit of Halley's Comet twice a year. Although the comet itself is very far away [diagram] tiny pieces of Halley are still moving through the inner solar system. They're leftovers from the comet's many close encounters with the Sun. Each time Halley returns (every 76 years) solar heating evaporates about 6 meters of ice and rock from its nucleus! Debris particles called meteoroids, usually no bigger than grains of sand, gradually spread along the comet's orbit forming an elongated stream of space dust. Earth passes through the debris stream once in May and again in October.

The eta Aquarids are named after a star in the constellation Aquarius. The star has nothing to do with the meteor shower except that the shower's radiant happens to lie nearby. (The radiant of a meteor shower is a point in the sky from which the meteors appear to stream.) The eta Aquarid's sister shower in October is called the Orionids, after the constellation Orion.

The eta Aquarid radiant never climbs very far above the horizon in the northern hemisphere. That's why it is a better shower south of the equator. Most years northerners count about 10 eta Aquarid meteors per hour, while southerners see 3 to 6 times that many.

Northern sky watchers sometimes spot spectacular "Earth grazers," while the active eta Aquarid radiant is low on the horizon. These are meteors that skim horizontally through the upper atmosphere. "Earth grazers" are typically slow and dramatic, streaking far across the sky. The best time to look for Earthgrazers is 2:00 to 2:30 a.m. local time.

Middle-latitude sky watchers in both hemispheres will see the eta Aquarid radiant rise over the eastern horizon at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time. Aquarius is a fairly dim constellation. The nearest bright star is 1st magnitude Fomalhaut in the constellation Piscis Austrini. Fomalhaut is a good finder star for sky watchers in the south, but it's not much use to northerners because of its low altitude. In Sydney, Australia, for example, Fomalhaut will be visible at 4 a.m. at an elevation of +25 degrees, just above and westward of the shower's radiant.

Experienced meteor watchers suggest the following viewing strategy: Dress warmly. Bring a reclining chair, or spread a thick blanket over a flat spot of ground. Lie down and look up somewhat toward the east. Meteors can appear in any part of the sky, although their trails will tend to point back toward the radiant.

Notes:

* Eta Aquarid meteoroids hit Earth's atmosphere traveling 66 km/s.
* Typical eta Aquarid meteors are as bright as a 3rd magnitude star.

Link to Article Source

Universal 7 Radio | gtbroadcasting.com | GlobalEnquirer.com | Comment

  News in Mars
  1. If Evidence of Ancient Civilizations are Discovered Elsewhere in the Galaxy, Will You Lose Your ReligionMay 16, 2005
  2. Beam Me to Mars
  3. Meteors from Halleys Comet the eta Aquarids
  4. Velikovskys Ghost Returns
  5. Partial Solar Eclipse on Friday
  6. NASA Hubble Headed for Deorbit Only
  7. Mini Big Bang Created, Puzzling Results Too Explosive
  8. Frozen Lake Found on Mars, May Have Preserved Primitive Life Scientists
  9. En Route to Mars, the Moon
  10. Atmosphere Found on Saturn Moon
  11. Creatures Frozen for 32,000 Years Still Alive
  12. Questions
  13. Pictures Reveal Frozen Sea
  14. NASA Researchers Claim Evidence of Present Life on Mars
  15. Vatican Observatory Exclusive There Was Life on Mars
  16. Scientists Find Missing Matter
  17. Age of the Universe
  18. Explosive Fireball Said to Shake Earth
  19. NASA Setting Off on Collision Course With Comet, For First Time
  20. Christmas Moon
  21. Spacecraft Sees Infant Galaxies in Aging Universe
  22. Rovers See Water-Linked Mineral
  23. Life-Swapping Scenarios for Earth and Mars
  24. Hubble Spots Youngest Galaxy
  25. The Threat From Life on Mars
  26. Robot May Help NASA Revive Hubble
  27. Liquid Suggested on TitanOct 28, 2004
  28. Tonight the Moon Turns Red
  29. Magical Morning
  30. A New Look at How Planets Are FormedOctober 19, 2004
  31. Huge Asteroid to Fly Past Earth WednesdaySept 27, 2004
  32. By Toutatis Monster Asteroid Flyby Excites Doomsters, SkygazersSept 26, 2004
  33. New Clue to Life on MarsSeptember 21, 2004
  34. Beware Io Dust
  35. Super Earth Discovered at Nearby StarAugust 25, 2004
  36. Horseflies and Meteors
  37. Gone Wild
  38. New Martian Meteorite Found in Antarctica
  39. Rock Hints at Short-Lived Lakes
  40. When Meteors Explode Full Account of a Wild Chicago Night
  41. Planet 17,000 Light-Years Away Revealed
  42. The Next Great Sun-Watching Spacecraft
  43. Detailed Picture of Comets HeartMarch 22, 2004
  44. Mysterious Object found Orbiting the SunMarch 16, 2004
  45. NASA to Detail Aspects of PlanetoidMarch 15, 2004
  46. Hubble Repair Mission Unlikely, Says NASA Chief
  47. Was Once, Drenched, Wet Enough for LifeMarch 2, 2004
  48. Flood of Data, Trickle of AnswersFebruary 27, 2004
  49. NASA Rover Seeks Signs of Martian WaterFeb 24, 2004
  50. What Does a Martian Look Like
  51. Water, Water Everywhere
  52. Oxygen at Faraway Planet, a First
  53. Water Ice
  54. Ancient Cosmic Superstructure Defies Theory
  55. 60 of Americans Oppose Bushs Mission to Moon, Mars
  56. Bush to Announce Missions to Mars, Moon
  57. Shows Mysterious Substance
  58. Earth Changes Its Spin, Baffles Scientists
  59. Bugs Found in 4,000-Foot Hole Raise Hopes for Life on Mars
  60. A Fatal Attraction in Space
  61. 150 Without SUVs
  62. Visit
  63. Los Angeles Times mentions Nibiru and its possible relation to Yellowstone Park
  64. Reach Dizzying Heights
  65. Red Moon at Night is Sky-Watchers Delight
  66. Bush May Announce Return To Moon At Kitty Hawk
  67. Has Been Bone Dry for a Billion Years
  68. Space Station Stay Shows Humans Could Go to Mars
  69. Encounter
  70. Swings By For Close-Up View
  71. Moon Colony Within 20 Years
  72. Magical Night Sky Week Mars, Full Moon and Shooting Stars
  73. Wormholes on Mars
  74. Close Encounter
  75. Strange Spots on Mars
  76. Scientists Say Martian Spots Worth a Close Look
  77. - The Phenomenon Begins
  78. Martian Warm Spots Could be Towers of Ice
  79. Viewing Mars
  80. at 33 Degrees
  81. Solar System Similar to Ours Found
  82. Roswell UFO Pointed to Bigger Things
  83. Snake Clouds
  84. Probes Find More Frozen Water
  85. Life Again Discovered on Mars
  86. Mars-Bound Craft Preps for Earth Swingby
  87. What Youll See, How to Observe
  88. Official Instructions What to do if Aliens Land
  89. Happy Face Crater of Mars
  90. Planet X
  91. A Look at Symbols Behind Current Events
  92. Did Giants Play Balls
  93. Mission
  94. Latest on Planet-X
  95. At Super-Perigee And New Moon August 2728, 2003A
  96. Forces of Darkness at Work- and the Schedule They Keep
  97. January 31st and the Feast of Hecate
  98. Vatican on the Lookout for Wormwood
  99. Snuggles up to Earth
  100. A City Under Cydonia
  101. There Probably Is
  America General
  Asian Anxiety
  Cosmic
  Earth Changes
  Espionage
  Europe
  Financial
  Genetics
  Global
  Mars
  Mexico
  Mideast
  Nukes
  NWO
  Persecution
  Precious Metals
  Prophetic
  Signs
  Strange Stuff
  Technology
  Terrorism
  The Pale Horse
  Unrest
  Yellowstone

FAIR USE NOTICE. Many of the stories on this site contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making this material available in its efforts to advance the understanding of environmental issues and sustainability, human rights, economic and political democracy, and issues of social justice. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use such copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use'...you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml



Where applicable, U.S. & Int'l Copyrights by Bryant McGill. All Rights Reserved. Notices and Fair Use. McGill Trademark Licensed from the House of Gill, Corp Sole.