Wild New Meteor 'Storm' Could Hit Earth Monday Night
For as much as we understand about the cosmos surrounding us, there are plenty of as-of-yet-unknown celestial events still unfolding before our very eyes. This week, Americans will have a change to witness something truly remarkable in this regard…maybe.
Human beings have been fairly adept at predicting certain cosmic events for thousands of years. Our ancestors were keen in using the moon and stars to navigate, and in doing so they learned an awful lot about how our world travels throughout the solar system.
But in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, observers will be keeping an eye to sky, wondering when, (or if), a wild new “meteor storm” could light up our atmosphere.
Stargazers could be treated to a new meteor shower Monday night, but there’s a catch.
The meteor shower, known as the Tau Herculids, could appear around 10 p.m. on the West Coast, but it all depends on the speed of the meteors.
NASA says if the particles are fast enough, the shower may be visible from North America. If the particles are slow, people won’t see much of anything.
But, if the meteors come in hot enough, there is potential for a truly spectacular show.
If the shower is visible, scientists say people could spot roughly 1,000 shooting stars per hour.
The shower contains remnants of a previously known comet, whose shattering demise has sent space debris sailing through the solar system.
