This week, meteor fans may be able to catch short views of the Arietid meteor shower, which is the year's most fabulous daylight shower. They will have an excellent chance to see the Arietid meteor Tuesday morning.
A photographer prepares to take pictures of the annual Perseid meteor shower in the village of Crissolo, near Cuneo, in the Monviso Alps region of northern Italy, on August 13, 2015. (Photo credit should read MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
About Arietid Meteor Shower
Meteor showers occur when Earth travels through the debris path left by a comet during its orbit around the sun. As the particles burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, they provide a light display.
Digital Trends said the Arietids are a daylight meteor shower every year in June. It may produce up to 200 light streaks every hour, although many are difficult to see because it is most active when the sun is up. The Arietids are the year's greatest daytime meteor shower, with a peak of activity on Tuesday.
According to CNet, the Arietids would rival or even outperform the most active meteor showers of the year (typically the Quadrantids, Geminids, and Leonids).
The difficulty with daylight meteor showers like the Arietids is that while the radiant (the region of the sky from whence the meteors originate) is above, the sun is also overhead.
The peak will occur on June 7, according to the astronomy website EarthSky. In contrast, the American Meteor Society said in the same EarthSky report that the peak occurred on June 4.
The comet responsible for the Arietid meteor shower is still unknown. The comet 96P/Machholz, which was discovered in 1986, is assumed to be the shower source. Others speculate that it came from the asteroid 1566 Icarus.
How to Watch The Said Comet
According to Newsweek, morning rates from rural areas in tropical southern latitudes might be closer to 10 meteors per hour.
On the plus side, even if one morning doesn't produce much, the shower should be active over June's first and second weeks. There are various sources as to when the actual climax occurred.
In any event, early-morning watchers can look east for meteors traveling away from the radiant.
Still, several reports highly suggest looking for a location free of light pollution and has a good view of the sky.
When you've found a good place, cast your attention eastward and wait for anything to happen in the still-dark predawn sky.
When watching meteor showers, it's a good idea to get comfy beforehand since you don't want to start the day with a crick in your neck. So, if you have a reclining outdoor chair, then take that with you, or simply lie down on a blanket to look straight up.
If you can't make it on Tuesday morning, or if cloud cover prevents you from seeing space, you may try again later this week since the shower is expected to last another seven days or so. Remember that Tuesday is the peak, so there will be fewer meteors to see after tomorrow.
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