A meteor in Tau Herculida rises above the sandstone formations in the Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada on May 30, 2022 in this photo by Ethan Miller from Getty Images. The shooting star comes from the comet’s pieces 73P / Schwassmann-Wachmann, or SW3. (Image Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
Bright “shooting stars” from a new meteor shower lit up the night sky in a dazzling display on Monday and Tuesday nights, even if it wasn’t the “meteor storm” some star gaps had hoped for.
The new meteor shower peaked around midnight on Tuesday (May 31st) as the wreckage of comet 73P / Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (also known as SW 3) burned harmlessly high in the Earth’s atmosphere as part of the scientists who are now stifling the meteor shower. tau Herculidi.
Although the shooting star’s fiesta has never been in a “meteor storm” (up to 1,000 meteors per hour), it has produced enough glowing meteors to attract worldwide attention. NASA has warned that the storm will only occur if the wreckage moves faster than 220 mph or 321 km / h, and its meteorologist Bill Cook warned that it was an “all-or-nothing event.”
Related: The biggest meteor storms of all time
A meteor in Tau Herculida is moving in the sky in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 31, 2022 in this photo by Peter Zay of the Anatolian Agency and Getty Images. (Image Credit: Peter Zay / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“This was not the expected storm, but the Earth clearly crossed a cloud of comet dust,” wrote the French network of amateur meteor observers (BOAM) on Twitter (opens in a new section) along with a timelapse image of shooting stars. (Translated from French by Space.com.)
Related: 2022 Meteor Shower Guide: Dates and Tips for Viewing
Restore #meteore #TauHerculids hier soir activity. It doesn’t have the temptation to be more traumatized by a nightmare of the 73P / Schwassmann-Wachmann comics. Image: 36 #meteor, 30-31 / 05/2022, camera #Fastronomy 2022. pic.twitter. com / zs2TQ4zpaH May 31, 2022
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NASA engineer Tim Reiss, who is based in Silicon Valley, was outside for several hours watching the Tau Herculids. Posting his observations and image on his personal Twitter account (opens in a new section), he said: “No storm level, above average rain [and] short duration, about three hours. ”
The peak was also half an hour later than forecast, Reyes said, which happened at 22:30 PDT (1:30 AM EDT or 0550 GMT).
#TauHerculids 2022. My observations: No storm level Above average rain. Short duration, about 3 hours The peak was at 22:30 PDT, not 945 or 10 p. pic.twitter.com/XVome9qnx0 May 31, 2022
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Many other observers have captured the storm around the United States, along with images and, in some cases, other celestial objects such as the Milky Way. Observations were supported by the new moon, and in America the radiant from the constellation Hercules was high in the sky and far from the denser atmospheric conditions near the horizon.
If you missed the show, check out our upcoming 2022 meteor showers to find out when to look. August is usually a great time, as this year the bright Perseids peak around August 11-12.
If you are hoping to capture some meteor shower or want to prepare your outfit for the next sky observation event, check out our best astrophotography cameras and best astrophotography lenses. Read our guide on how to shoot meteors and meteor showers for more useful tips for planning your photo shoot.
Related: 2022 Meteor Shower Guide: Dates and Tips for Viewing
No meteor storm, but certainly a few #TauHerculids tonight and an apology for filming the Milky Way. @DamAstronomy @Chesapecten @Astroguyz @BadAstronomer @JeffEdmondsonWX pic.twitter.com/htfHAZdzR4 May 31, 2022
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A bright, slow-moving Tau Herculid meteor over northern Los Angeles. # TauHerculids pic.twitter.com/XGIrigQKx8 May 31, 2022
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#TauHerculids saw about 25 tonight from 10:30 to MN CT .. excited, I shot a few pic.twitter.com/4OchreEQG4 May 31, 2022
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#TauHerculids over Middleville, Michigan shortly after midnight. # Wmiwx #miwx #StormHour #Astrophotography #Meteors pic.twitter.com/P6nyWA5FCr May 31, 2022
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From rural central Texas, I could see rather short but bright little fireballs. I managed to capture a magnification along with the Big Dipper “Big Dipper :)” with a 12mm lens and a Nikon D750 @ ISO8000 (!). #TauHerculids #meteor #astronomy pic.twitter.com/d58sKUji8MM May 31, 2022
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Penetrating the night sky, fragments of comet 73P / Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 enter the Earth’s atmosphere at breakneck speeds and display a brilliant display of the #TauHerculids meteor shower. pic.twitter.com/5ffsY5onBPM31 May 2022
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One big sporadic (maybe #TauHerculids) meteor last night at 22:21, Colorado, looking southeast. I got a few more weak meteors and satellites before the heavy clouds moved. pic.twitter.com/QzYsx3z2cd May 31, 2022
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I caught this beauty that flows over Mount Lukens of La Crescenta (9 miles north of downtown #LosAngeles)! @ Zwoasi asi224mc + 2.1mm fisheye #Meteorshower #MeteorStorm #meteor #TauHerculids pic.twitter3AN2
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Editor’s note: If you take an amazing photo of the Tau Herculi meteor shower and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
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