Quadrantids: An above average meteor shower reaches peak of activity

Quadrantids: An above average meteor shower reaches peak of activity

The Quadrantid meteor shower will reach its peak activity, with about 80 meteors per hour (ZHR), on the night of January 3 and the early morning hours of January 4, 2015. A waning crescent moon will not interfere much with meteors and any of its fireballs. This…

Night sky guide for January 2016

Night sky guide for January 2016

We start the year with our planet reaching perihelion – closest point to the Sun – which will happen at 22:49 UTC on January 2. At the time, Earth will be 146.6 million km (91 million miles) from the Sun. The first meteor shower of the year – Quadrantids – will…

Geminid meteor shower – king of meteor showers peaks this weekend

Geminid meteor shower – king of meteor showers peaks this weekend

One of the most popular meteor showers in the night sky and the most impressive meteor shower of the year – Geminid meteor shower – is set to peak between the nighttime on December 13 and the early morning December 14, 2015, producing up to 120 meteors per hour in…

Night sky guide for December 2015

Night sky guide for December 2015

December 2015 will feature three meteor showers: the Geminids, the Puppid-Velids and the Ursids. The Geminid meteor shower is popularly known as the "king of meteor showers". This year, it is expected to produce up to 120 meteors per hour at its peak,…

Annual Leonid meteor shower peaks this week

Annual Leonid meteor shower peaks this week

As we approach the end of the year, it is time to welcome the annual Leonid meteor shower. This shower is associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle and is considered to be one of the most beautiful meteor showers in existence. This year, the Leonid meteor shower is…

Large fireball lights up Thailand sky

Large fireball lights up Thailand sky

A large fireball was observed over Thailand at 13:56 UTC (20:56 local time) on November 2, 2015 and caputred on numerous dashcams. The Thai Astronomical Society said shortly after the event that it was "expected" to be a meteor. Video credit RT (courtesy…

Night sky guide for November 2015

Night sky guide for November 2015

Out of two meteor showers scheduled for November – Taurids and Leonids – only the second one should offer a good show, with about 15 meteors per hour on November 17/18. All but the brightest Taurids, expected to peak on the night of November 5, will be blocked out…

2015 Orionid meteor shower peaks on October 21 – 22

2015 Orionid meteor shower peaks on October 21 – 22

Every October, stargazers all over the planet look forward to the annual Orionid meteor shower. The Orionids are popular because they are one of the two meteor showers created from the debris field of the extremely popular Halley's comet. The annual Eta Aquarids…

Night sky guide for October 2015

Night sky guide for October 2015

Newly discovered comet C/2013 US10 Catalina may reach naked eye visibility on October 1, 2015; it will continue to brighten and could reach magnitude 5 by November 6. Draconid meteor shower is scheduled to peak on October 8 with only about 10 meteors per hour. The…