When to Watch the Tau Herculid Meteor Shower
Meteors are not uncommon: cosmic particles are constantly falling to Earth, and if you look closely on any given evening, you will likely see one or more streak through the darkness. However, meteor showers that light up the night sky for minutes or hours are much rarer, and a spectacular one is expected this month. May be.
If all the stars align (ahem), the Tau Hercules shower will appear over the adjacent United States on the night of May 30th and early morning of May 31st. This is what Bill Cook of the NASA Environmental Protection Agency called an all-or-nothing event . so hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Here’s what you need to know.
When can you see the Tau Herculids meteor shower?
If that happens, the Tau Herculis show is expected to peak around 1:00 AM ET on Tuesday, May 31 (10:00 PM PT May 30).
The meteors themselves are likely to move slower and appear dimmer than the Eta Aquarid shower earlier this month . However, this night the moon is new, so the sky will be dark for maximum visibility. Due to the time and position of the Earth, viewers in the US will see the best show, from roughly mid-sky to directly overhead.
You always want to find the darkest place to watch a meteor shower, but this can be especially important for the Tau Herculids, given the slow speeds expected for individual particles.
Tau-Herculides – a new word in meteor shower
The Tau-Herculid stream originates from a comet known as SW 3, which was first detected in 1930 and is believed to have begun fragmenting in 1995. the debris relative to the comet, the position of the earth, and the speed can create an impressive viewing experience.
However, this is more of an assumption than a guarantee.