Pi Virginids meteor shower makes rare appearance over Puerto Rico
A notable meteor was seen from Puerto Rico at about 23:34 UTC (19:34 LT) on Monday, March 20, 2023, looking in an easterly direction.
“The trajectory suggests that it was one that belongs to a light and little-known shower called Pi Virginids,” said the Caribbean Astronomical Society (SAC).
SAC pointed out that these meteors have the peculiarity of being quite slow, but bright.
The Pi Virginids meteor shower is a relatively small and less well-known meteor shower that is observed annually between late March and early April. The shower is characterized by slow-moving but bright meteors that can be seen in the night sky.
The peak of the Pi Virginids meteor shower usually occurs around April 7, and during this time, observers may see between five and ten meteors per hour. While this may not seem like a lot, the shower’s meteors are known for their brightness and slow speed, making them easy to spot in the night sky.
The source of the Pi Virginids meteor shower is still not fully understood, but scientists believe that it may be associated with a long-period comet or an asteroid. The shower is named after the constellation Virgo, which is where the radiant point of the shower is located.
Despite its relative obscurity, the Pi Virginids meteor shower has been observed for over a century, with its first recorded sighting in 1908.
Featured image credit: Felix Cardona (stillshot)
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