meteor

Meteor streaks through Jupiter’s atmosphere as NASA spacecraft watches

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When a rogue meteor careened through the atmosphere of Jupiter last year, it caught the attention of NASA’s Juno spacecraft in orbit around the giant planet. The brief and sudden flash in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere was spotted by NASA’s Juno spacecraft in April 2020. But, while the burst of light didn’t last long, it drew … Read more

Help discover the origins of meteor showers by spotting shooting stars

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By Layal Liverpool Marius Heil/EyeEm/Getty Images I WANT to hunt for shooting stars, but it’s cold outside so I’m starting the search from my living room. You can do the same by joining the Radio Meteor Zoo project online. If you have ever seen a shooting star, you were probably witnessing a small solid object … Read more

Perseid meteor shower 2022: When, where & how to see it

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The Perseid meteor shower (also known as The Perseids) is perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year, visible between July and August. With clear skies, you could see what some consider the most spectacular cosmic light show. American spectators can expect to see the greatest number of meteors during the shower’s peak between … Read more

Exploding meteor ‘booms’ over Pennsylvania on New Year’s Day

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Observations from GOES-16 shows a flash that was later determined came from an exploding meteor on Jan. 1, 2022. (Image credit: Twitter/NWSPittsburgh) A meteor hurtling through Earth’s atmosphere exploded over Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1). Just before 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT) on Jan. 1, people in Pittsburgh heard what sounded like … Read more

Comet Leonard shines amid aurora and meteor shower in stunning footage by Chinese spacecraft

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A small space telescope launched by a Chinese space resources company captured an epic shot of the brightest comet of the year on the backdrop of an aurora and passing meteors. Yangwang 1, a small satellite belonging to Chinese space resources company Origin Space, took the image while Comet Leonard was making its closest approach … Read more

The Ursid meteor shower peaks tonight. Don’t expect to see many ‘shooting stars.’

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According to the Observer’s Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, there are 11 meteor showers that are considered to be the “principal” displays of the year. In order to make the list, a particular meteor shower must produce at least 10 meteors per hour at maximum.  As it turns out, within a span … Read more

Comet Leonard may have spawned meteor shower on Venus

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Comet Leonard may be sparking meteor showers at Venus this weekend during a relatively close approach of the comet to the planet. Officially known as comet C/2021 A1, also known as Comet Leonard was discovered in January by astronomer Gregory J. Leonard of the Mount Lemmon Infrared Observatory in Arizona. Its close pass of Venus this … Read more

It’s Not Actually Size That Determines How Deadly a Meteor Is

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We have a lot to thank meteorites for. Had they not instigated several mass extinction events, including wiping out non-avian dinosaurs, we probably wouldn’t be here today. But some things still don’t add up about the massive scale of decimation they can cause.   “For decades scientists have puzzled over why some meteorites cause mass … Read more