Meteor storms represent one of those sightings on the night sky that can have either one of two effects on people. They can scare the astronomy out of us or make us contemplate the evanescence of human nature. There seems to be no other option.
If you ask us, we’re voting for the second scenario. We find witnessing meteor showers to be exciting, educational, and inspiring.
Are you ready for Tau Herculids?
Tau Herculids may sound like the name of a video game boss, but it’s none other than the designation of an upcoming meteor shower. We’re only days away from getting the chance to witness it in the night sky, as those meteors will be zapping high above our heads starting on the night of May 30 and ending in the morning of May 31.
According to nj.com, there are chances for Tau Herculids to become a major meteor storm, producing hundreds of meteors per hour.
Bill Cooke, the head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, said that it will be an “all or nothing event.” He explained that the SW3 comet is responsible for the meteor, saying, as quoted by nj.com:
Being so faint, SW3 wasn’t seen again until the late 1970s, seeming pretty normal until 1995, when astronomers realized the comet had become about 600 times brighter and went from a faint smudge to being visible with the naked eye during its passage,
Upon further investigation, astronomers realized SW3 had shattered into several pieces, littering its own orbital trail with debris. By the time it passed our way again in 2006, it was in nearly 70 pieces, and has continued to fragment further since then.
If you’re also eager to witness the upcoming meteor shower, the best way to do it is by grabbing a pair of binoculars and choosing a spot where the sky doesn’t appear too cloudy.
