Showing posts with label TELESCOPE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TELESCOPE. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Divine warning or just a coincidence? A potentially dangerous asteroid will pass tomorrow near Earth "the steroid appears to be wearing a face mask"

Asteroid (52768) 1998 OR2 Spalding Today


An asteroid with an estimated size of 2 kilometers will pass near Earth tomorow on April 29, at 9.56 GMT dont worry the risk of collision being excluded.

As a unique detail in the images captured by astronomers, the asteroid appears to be wearing a face mask. 

Asteroid 52768 (1998 OR2), discovered by NASA in 1998 will travel at a distance of about 6.2 million kilometers from Earth, at a speed of about 31,300 kilometers per hour.If it collided with Earth, the asteroid would cause "global effects," NASA officials said after discovering the cosmic object.

Radar image of asteroid 1998 OR2 acquired April 18, 2020, by astronomers at Arecibo Observatory. The radar data confirm that 1998 OR2 is at least 2 km in diameter [a little over a mile wide]. These radar images suggest it is spherical. It rotates once every 4.1 hours. Image via Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

In a completely unique way, in the images captured by the specialists from the Arecibo Astronomical Observatory in Puerto Rico, the asteroid seems to be wearing a face protection mask, according to CNN. The asteroid was included by NASA in the "potentially dangerous" category, like any other spacecraft approaching Earth at less than 7,480,000 kilometers.  descopera

The Arecibo Observatory wikipedia


According to information available to specialists to date, the largest asteroid that has passed Earth is 3122 Florence (1981 ET3). The object with a size of about 4-9 kilometers passed our planet on September 1, 2017 and is still expected to "visit" us on September 2, 2057.

3122 Florence is a stony trinary asteroid of the Amor group. It is classified as a near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid. It measures approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.0–2.5 AU once every 2 years and 4 months (859 days); the orbit has an eccentricity of 0.42 and an inclination of 22° with respect to the ecliptic. Florence was discovered on 2 March 1981 by American astronomer Schelte J. "Bobby" Bus at Siding Spring Observatory.[3] Its provisional designation was 1981 ET3. It was named in honor of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing the naming citation was published on 6 April 1993 wiki



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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Astronomer who rewrote the history of the Universe. He originally wanted to be a priest. Later, his mother had suffered from Church

The Great Comet of 1577, which Kepler witnessed as a child, attracted the attention of astronomers across Europe photo: wikipedia
December 27, 1571 was born Johannes Kepler, astronomer and astrologer, who discovered that the Earth and the planets move around the sun in an elliptical orbit (d. November 15, 1630)

Kepler was born  in Weil der Stadt, Württemberg, Germany, and studied since 1591 theology at the University of Tübingen. One of his teachers was Michael Maestlin, defender of the heliocentric theory of Copernicus. 

Michael Maestlin - Wikipedia

Kepler wanted to be a priest, a Protestant, but finally, with great penchant for math function supports 1594 teacher of mathematics and astronomy at the University of Graz, Austria. Here are working on a complex geometrical hypotheses aimed at explaining the remoteness of the orbits of the five planets known at that time (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn).


University of Tübingen Britannica

Kepler was a German mathematician and optician. photo: wikipedia

Kepler believes that the sun exerts a force that decreases in proportion to the removal of a planet: "Planets move accordingly on an elliptical path, the center of which is the sun." Thus states the first law of planetary motion (see Kepler's Laws), published in "Mysterium Cosmographicum" ( "The Mystery of cosmic world", 1596).

In April 1597, Kepler married Barbara Mühlek. Due to pressure from the Catholic Counter-Reformation, Kepler is forced to leave Graz and in 1600 accepted the offer to work in Prague as an assistant to Tycho Brahe, the astronomer court Emperor Rudolf II.

Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor - Wikipedia

The Galileo Project

The qualities of Tycho Brahe's observatory are now complemented with exceptional knowledge of mathematics of Kepler. After the death of Brahe in 1601, Kepler became his successor as imperial mathematician and astronomer. 


Kepler observed 1604 "Supernova 1604" and published his observations in his "De Stella Nova in Serpentarii Pede" ( "About a new star in the constellation foot serpent"). In "Astronomia Nova" ( "New Astronomy", 1609) publishes research results on the ellipse Mars and the second law states: "The planet is closer to the sun, the faster it moves." 


Remnant of Kepler's Supernova SN 1604 photo: wikipedia

In 1612 Kepler is set at Linz in Austria, where his work appears "Harmonices Mundi" ( "Harmony of the World", 1619). In the last chapter of this book, based on observations and calculations, sets out the third law of planetary motion: "The square of time of revolution is proportional to the third power of the average distance between a planet and the sun."

In the years 1615-1620 Kepler had to defend his mother, who was accused of witchcraft. He eventually managed to obtain her release, but without being able to prevent the torture was subject, following which she died a year later. Kepler lived in an era of intolerance, struggles between Catholics and Protestants during the Thirty Years' War, was forced repeatedly to flee to escape persecution, although his attempts to remain neutral.



His last major work, published in his lifetime yet is Tabulae Rudolfinae (1627), which contains tables that describe the movements of the planets. It will be the basis for any astronomical for the next 200 years. In his theory of gravitation forces, Isaac Newton relied heavily on Kepler's observations.



Apart works of astronomy, Kepler described a process for determining the volumes on which will develop integral calculus. He also studied symmetry of snowflakes and calculated the natural forces involved in the growth and geometric structures that will be applied in the study of crystallography. He worked in the field of optics, which to remember his invention called "Kepler's telescope."


Johannes Kepler died on November 15, 1630 in Regensburg, Germany, aged 59 years. In his memory, the University of Linz called "Johannes Kepler Universität,".

Invenit Mundo presents major historical significance of the day December 27:

1585 - He died Pierre de Ronsard, the French poet, the main representative of the Pleiades (sixteenth-century French literary school) ( "Ode", "Hymns") (b. September 11, 1524)

1717 - was born Pope Pius VI (d. 1799)

1784 - peasant revolt led by Horea, Closca and Crisan, broke out November 2nd. 1784. Horea and Closca are trapped in the forest in the mountains Scoruşet Gilău, then imprisoned at Alba-Iulia

1806 - Constantine Ypsilanti returns to Bucharest. He organizes an army intended to enable the realization of his plan, establishing a kingdom of Dacia format Moldovan and Romanian Country Serbia

1816 - Held at the initiative of Gheorghe Asachi Iasi first theater performance in Romanian: "Mirtil and Hloe" pastoral in one act

1822 - Louis Pasteur was born chemist and biologist, member of the French Academy; He discovered the nature of infectious diseases of humans and animals and rabies vaccine (applied for the first time in 1885), thereby laying the foundations of immunology; established conservation beer pasteurisation method (d. September 28, 1895)

1831 - Charles Darwin embarked on his historic journey aboard the HMS Beagle royal

1832 - was born Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, Russian critic and humorist, founder of the art gallery that bears his name

1896 - He was born American novelist Louis Bromfield (d. March 18, 1956)

1897 - VIANU Tudor was born, poet, philosopher and esthetician Romanian member of the Romanian Academy; He was director general of the National Commission for UNESCO director general of the Romanian Academy Library, Director of the National Theatre in Bucharest; wrote aesthetic and stylistic studies, memoirs, analyzed in terms of aesthetics Romanian literary phenomenon and universal ( "Art and beauty," "Art Romanian prose writers") (d. May 21, 1964)

1901 - Marlene Dietrich was born, legendary figure of cinema, film actress, theater, music hall, vaudeville singer (movies: "Blue Angel", "stigma of evil") (d. May 6, 1992)

1909 - D.A. Sturdza, due to sickness, withdraws from the party and the leadership of the PNL; I.I.C. Brătianu was appointed prime minister

1925 - He died Sergei Aleksandrovich Yesenin, Russian poet, one of the most sensitive of the village evocators Russian (committed suicide) (n.1895)

1945 - Establishment of the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a result of the UN Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods (1 to 12 July 1945). Romania became a member of the two financial institutions to December 15, 1972

1977 - A Ciucurencu Alexander died, painter, member of the Romanian Academy; In 2003, UNESCO included in the calendar of cultural anniversaries and name Alexander Ciucurencu, marking 100 years since the birth of the painter (b. September 27, 1903)

1978 - In Spain establishes democracy after 40 years of dictatorship

1989 - In the first plenary NSFC was adopted Decree-Law no. 2 on the establishment, organization and functioning of NSFC and territorial councils of the NSF; also he was elected Executive Office of NSFC: President - Ion Iliescu; First Deputy Chairman - Dumitru Mazilu; Vice - Cazimir Ionescu, Karoly Kiraly; Secretary - Dan Martian; members - Teodoriu Bogdan, Vasile Neacsa, Silviu Brucan Manole Gheorghe Ion Caramitru, Nicolae Radu

1991 - It was open to the public, the Cotroceni National Museum, established on July 10, 1991

1995 - The Bosnian government army and Bosnian Serb forces evacuated the key positions on the front lines around Sarajevo

1998 - The European Commission approved the creation of a common bank, based in Vienna, by the third private bank German Dresdner Bank and National Bank of Paris (BNP), which aims to administer the activities of the two institutions in Europe East

2004 - Viktor Yushchenko has claimed victory in the presidential elections in Ukraine


2006 - Finished the former US president Gerald Ford life. He was the only president who was directly elected for the posts of president and vice president of the United States.


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Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Australian Radio Telescope Parkes Joins $100 Million Search for Alien Life

The Parkes radio telescope in Australia is the third telescope to begin searching for signs of intelligent alien life as part of the $100 million Breakthrough Listen project. Credit: CSIRO


Updated today 20/05/2020

$100 million search for intelligent alien life just added a big arrow to its quiver.

Breakthrough Listen has begun using the Parkes radio telescope in Australia to scan the heavens, representatives of the ambitious, decade-long project announced Monday (Nov.7).

Parkes, Narrabri radio telescopes to be upgraded to improve Space Connect


The Parkes dish becomes the third telescope to be employed by Breakthrough Listen, joining the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia and the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory in Northern California


"The addition of Parkes is an important milestone," billionaire entrepreneur Yuri Milner, founder of the Breakthrough Initiatives, which include Breakthrough Listen, said in a statement. "These major instruments are the ears of planet Earth, and now they are listening for signs of other civilizations."


The Parkes radio telescope can tilt 60° from vertical and would take 15 minutes to perform a 360° rotation. photo: wikipedia.org

The first Breakthrough Listen observations for the Parkes dish came Monday, when scientists turned the telescope toward the Proxima Centauri star system to look for possible signals from alien civilizations.


Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the sun, lying just 4.2 light-years away from Earth's star. This past August, astronomers announced the discovery of an Earth-size planet orbiting in Proxima Centauri's "habitable zone," the just-right range of distances where liquid water could exist on a world's surface.

It's therefore possible that the planet, known as Proxima b, may be capable of supporting life as we know it, scientists have said.



"The chances of any particular planet hosting intelligent life-forms are probably minuscule," Andrew Siemion, director of the University of California, Berkeley's SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Research Center, said in the same statement.

"But once we knew there was a planet right next door, we had to ask the question, and it was a fitting first observation for Parkes," Siemion added. "To find a civilization just 4.2 light-years away would change everything."

Proxima Centauri is also the target of Breakthrough Starshot, a Breakthrough Initiatives effort that aims to blast tiny, sail-equipped "nanoprobes" toward the system at 20 percent the speed of light using powerful lasers. Milner and a group of researchers, including famed cosmologist Stephen Hawking, announced Breakthrough Listen in July 2015. Over the next 10 years, the $100 million endeavor aims to search the 1 million stars closest to the sun, as well as the 100 nearest galaxies to the Milky Way, for possible SETI signals.



The 210-foot-wide (64 meters) Parkes dish, which is operated by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), lies near the town of Parkes, in the state of New South Wales. The radio telescope famously helped relay live video of the Apollo 11 moon landing back to Earth in July 1969, a role featured in the 2000 film "The Dish."

Breakthrough Listen representatives also announced last month that the project would be teaming up with China's new Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) — the world's largest radio telescope — to coordinate SETI observations.


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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Chandra X-Ray Observatory Recently discovered new SPT0346-52. Galaxy is undergoing an extraordinary boom of stellar construction, clues to universe’s evolution and big bang

The distorted galaxy in the simulation results from a collision between two galaxies, followed by them merging. Astronomers think such a merger could be the reason why SPT0346-52 is having such a boom of stellar construction. Once the two galaxies collide, gas near the center of the merged galaxy (shown as the bright region in the center of the simulation) is compressed, producing a burst of new stars. The composite inset shows X-ray data from Chandra (blue), short wavelength infrared data from Hubble (green), infrared light from Spitzer (red) at longer wavelengths, and infrared data from ALMA (magenta) at even longer wavelengths. (The light from SPT0346-52 is distorted and magnified by the gravity of an intervening galaxy, producing three elongated images in the ALMA data located near the center of the image. SPT0346-52 is not visible in the Hubble or Spitzer data, but the intervening galaxy causing the gravitational lensing is detected.) There is no blue at the center of the image, showing that Chandra did not detect any X-rays that could have signaled the presence of a growing black hole. Credit: Image courtesy of CXC Press Office.
A recently discovered galaxy is undergoing an extraordinary boom of stellar construction, revealed by a group of astronomers led by University of Florida graduate student Jingzhe Ma using NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

The galaxy known as SPT 0346‐52 is 12.7 billion light years from Earth, seen at a critical stage in the evolution of galaxies about a billion years after the Big Bang.

Chandra Overview NASA

Astronomers first discovered SPT 0346‐52 with the National Science Foundation's South Pole Telescope, then observed it with space and ground-based telescopes. Data from the NSF/ESO Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile revealed extremely bright infrared emission, suggesting that the galaxy is undergoing a tremendous burst of star birth.



South Pole Telescope - Wikipedia


SPT 0346-52 is part of a population of strong gravitationally-lensed galaxies photo: discovered Sci-News.com

However, an alternative explanation remained: Was much of the infrared emission instead caused by a rapidly growing supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center? Gas falling towards the black hole would become much hotter and brighter, causing surrounding dust and gas to glow in infrared light. To explore this possibility, researchers used NASA's Chandra X‐ray Observatory and CSIRO's Australia Telescope Compact Array, a radio telescope.

No X‐rays or radio waves were detected, so astronomers were able to rule out a black hole being responsible for most of the bright infrared light.

About Australia Telescope Compact Array - CSIRO

"We now know that this galaxy doesn't have a gorging black hole, but instead is shining brightly with the light from newborn stars," Ma said. "This gives us information about how galaxies and the stars within them evolve during some of the earliest times in the universe."

Stars are forming at a rate of about 4,500 times the mass of the Sun every year in SPT0346-52, one of the highest rates seen in a galaxy. This is in contrast to a galaxy like the Milky Way that only forms about one solar mass of new stars per year.

"Astronomers call galaxies with lots of star formation 'starburst' galaxies," said UF astronomy professor Anthony Gonzalez, who co-authored the study. "That term doesn't seem to do this galaxy justice, so we are calling it a 'hyper-starburst' galaxy."

The high rate of star formation implies that a large reservoir of cool gas in the galaxy is being converted into stars with unusually high efficiency.

Astronomers hope that by studying more galaxies like SPT0346‐52 they will learn more about the formation and growth of massive galaxies and the supermassive black holes at their centers.

"For decades, astronomers have known that supermassive black holes and the stars in their host galaxies grow together," said co-author Joaquin Vieira of the University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign. "Exactly why they do this is still a mystery. SPT0346-52 is interesting because we have observed an incredible burst of stars forming, and yet found no evidence for a growing supermassive black hole. We would really like to study this galaxy in greater detail and understand what triggered the star formation and how that affects the growth of the black hole."

Joaquin Vieira Wins Sloan Fellowship Astronomy at Illinois

SPT0346‐52 is part of a population of strong gravitationally-lensed galaxies discovered with the SPT. It appears about six times brighter than it would without gravitational lensing, which enables astronomers to see more details than would otherwise be possible.




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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

After 20 years of work and billions of dollars spent, the gigantic NASA space telescope is completed. It has gold plated mirrors and is 100 times more powerful than Hubble

James Webb Space Telescope Mirror photo: commons.wikipedia.org
After years of effort and billions of dollars invested, the components of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is finally realized.

Giant telescope mirror was presented yesterday at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. With its 18 smaller mirrors hexagonal gold plated, which are part of it, his power of observation is 100 times larger than the Hubble.

Also, this week was made public that was built a sunshade the size of a tennis court to protect the optics of the telescope sun. After a few tests will start, probably telescope mirror and hood are integrated together.

photo: Nasa/ Chris Gunn   
"When it will be completed, Webb will be the largest and most complex space observatory was ever built," said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), previously known as Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), is a Flagship-class space observatory under construction and scheduled to launch in October 2018. The JWST will offer unprecedented resolution and sensitivity from long-wavelength (orange-red) visible light, through near-infrared to the mid-infrared (0.6 to 27 micrometers), and is a successor instrument to the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope. While Hubble has a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) mirror, the JWST features a larger and segmented 6.5-meter-diameter (21 ft 4 in) primary mirror and will be located near the Earth–Sun L2 point. A large sunshield will keep its mirror and four science instruments below 50 K (−220 °C; −370 °F).

photo: tecmania.ch

JWST's capabilities will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology. One particular goal involves observing some of the most distant events and objects in the Universe, such as the formation of the first galaxies. These types of targets are beyond the reach of current ground and space-based instruments. Another goal is understanding the formation of stars and planets. This will include direct imaging of exoplanets.

In gestation since 1996, the project represents an international collaboration of about 17 countries led by NASA, and with significant contributions from the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. It is named after James E. Webb, the second administrator of NASA, who played an integral role in the Apollo program

The JWST has a history of major cost overruns and delays. The first realistic budget estimates were that the observatory would cost $1.6 billion and launch in 2011. NASA has now scheduled the telescope for a 2018 launch. In 2011, the United States House of Representatives voted to terminate funding, after about $3 billion had been spent and 75% of its hardware was in production.Funding was restored and capped at $8 billion. As of winter 2015–2016, the telescope remained on schedule for an October 2018 launch and within the 2011 revised budget

size comparison of the hubble space telescope and the james webb photo: pics.about.space.com



When will be released in October 2018 it will be positioned behind the Moon's orbit, in a region called gravitational stable Lagrange Point 2, or L2 simple. From here, the vision of the cosmos will be unobstructed. Although it is considered the successor to Hubble, there are some clear differences between them, JWST could achieve using infrared view of the universe. However, its size will enable detailed observation of galaxies, stars and probably and exoplanets. This will be possible thanks to the telescope's capability to penetrate cosmic dust using infrared rays.

Initially, the launch of the telescope was scheduled for 2011, and its cost should not exceed $ 1 billion, but various delays have meant that its launch is scheduled for 2018. Furthermore, it will not be supplied with fuel when when it is in space, unlike Hubble, which has several repair missions manned to fix defects and improve.

Its construction began more than 20 years.



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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

KEPLER SPOTS 100+ MORE EXOPLANETS, SOME POTENTIALLY HABITABLE WE'VE GOT EXOPLANETS ON EXOPLANETS

















NASA announced today that its Kepler spacecraft has discovered a "crop of more than 100 planets" orbiting the M dwarf star K2-72, 181 light years away from Earth.

Of the 104 planets found outside of our solar system, four seem Earth-sized and rocky, and two of those are within the "habitable zone," with the potential for liquid water on their surfaces. They orbit their star closer than Mercury orbits ours, but because K2-72 is cooler and less than half the size of our sun, it keeps them in the sweet spot for temperature. One is 10 percent warmer than Earth, while the other is 6 percent cooler. All of the planets discovered are 20-50 percent larger than Earth in diameter.


These discoveries come after thousands of exoplanets landed in Kepler's sights, including three dozen planets or planet candidates in the habitable zone. The odds keep getting better for life outside of our own solar system.



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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Meteor Shower 2017: When, Where & How to See It




The Perseid meteor shower will burst into light this August as Earth passes through the long trail left by Comet Swift-Tuttle — and this year, it's slated to put on a spectacular show. Here's how and when to see the Perseids.

According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year. They will be in "outburst" in 2017, which means they'll appear at double the usual rates.

"This year, instead of seeing about 80 Perseids per hour, the rate could top 150 and even approach 200 meteors per hour," Cooke said. It's the first such outburst since 2009

To learn more about the Perseids and other summer meteor showers, check out our Best Summer Meteor Showers Guide. Or, read on to learn how and when to see the Perseids, and what causes this year's outburst.


When to see them?

Earth will pass through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle from July 17 to Aug. 24, with the shower's peak — when Earth passes through the densest, dustiest area — occurring on Aug. 12. That means you'll see the most meteors in the shortest amount of time near that peak, but you can still catch some action from the famed meteor shower before or after that point.

    This sky map shows the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky during the meteor display's peak on Aug. 12 and 13, 2015. The Perseids appear to radiate out from a point on the border of constellations Perseus and Cassiopeia.

The meteors will seem to originate from the constellation Perseus, which appears on the horizon at about 10 p.m. local time. However, the most meteors will be visible after midnight. They can appear all over the sky, but they will always look like they're streaking away from Perseus.

You can see the Perseid meteor shower best in the Northern Hemisphere and down to the mid-southern latitudes, and all you need to catch the show is darkness, somewhere comfortable to sit and a bit of patience.

The full moon is on Aug. 18, so you will likely get a better glimpse of the meteors earlier in themonth, when the moonlight is not as bright and disruptive.


What causes the Perseids?

Comet Swift-Tuttle is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth; its nucleus is about 16 miles (26 kilometers) wide. It last passed nearby Earth during its orbit around the sun in 1992, and the next time will be in 2126. But it won't be forgotten in the meantime, because Earth passes through the dust and debris it leaves behind every year, creating the annual Perseid meteor shower.

When you sit back to watch a meteor shower, you're actually seeing the pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere and burn up in a bright burst of light, streaking a vivid path across the sky as they travel at 37 miles (59 km) per second. When they're in space, the pieces of debris are called "meteoroids," but when they reach Earth's atmosphere, they're designated as "meteors." If a piece makes it all the way down to Earth without burning up, it graduates to "meteorite." Most of the meteors in the Perseids are much too small for that


Photographer Ruslan Merzlyakov captured this spectacular photograph of the Perseid meteor shower filling the Danish sky in the early morning of Aug. 13. "I have been outside for about 3 hours, and the results are bloody fantastic!" he said. The sky was clear the entire time: "Lots of Perseids and Northern Lights had just exploded in the sky right over my hometown. For now, I am not going to argue with Danish weather, because I am 200 percent happy!"





This year, the comet's path is particularly crowded, which means the meteor shower is in "outburst" — a condition that occurs when the debris clumps together because of the influence of the giant planets, Cooke said.

"This Perseid outburst coming up in August — you could think of it in simplistic terms as Jupiter's gravity causing the particles to concentrate in front of Earth's path," Cooke said. "That doesn't happen with all showers, but since the Perseids have an orbit that takes them well past Jupiter, they can pass close enough to Jupiter that its gravity can mess with them."

The outbursts are irregular, and scientists have only had the computational power to predict what years they'd occur since the late 1990s.

What do you need to see them?

The key to seeing a meteor shower is "to take in as much sky as possible," Cooke said. Go to a dark area, in the suburbs or countryside, and prepare to sit outside for a few hours. It takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, and the longer you wait outside, the more you'll see. A rate of 150 meteors per hour, for instance, means two to three meteors per minute, including faint streaks along with bright, fireball-generating ones.

Some skywatchers plan to camp out to see the Perseid meteor shower, but at the very least, viewers should bring something comfortable to sit on, some snacks and some bug spray. Then, just relax and look upward for the celestial show.

Source: SPACE