New Year's Fireworks from a Shattered Comet   
       
   2017 is beginning with fireworks.   
       
   No, not those fireworks.   
       
   We're talking about a lightshow from shattered comet 2003 EH1.   
       
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMkxh50fo80   
       
   According to the International Meteor Organization and other forecasters,   
   Earth will pass through a stream of debris from the comet on January 3, 2017,   
   producing a shower of meteors known as the Quadrantids.   
       
   The Quadrantid meteor shower is one of the most intense annual meteor showers,   
   typically producing meteors at a rate of more than 100 per hour from a point   
   in the sky near the North Star, also known as the shower's radiant.   
       
   The 2017 Quadrantids are expected to peak around 1400 UT - or around 6 am   
   PST.  The timing favors western parts of North America and islands across the   
   Pacific. The peak of the Quadrantids is brief, typically lasting no more than   
   an hour or so, and it does not always occur at the forecasted time. Observers   
   everywhere are encouraged to be alert for meteors throughout the dark hours of   
   January 3.   
       
   "Extra motivation to go out and view the Quadrantids is provided by the   
   shower's reputation for producing spectacular fireballs," says Brian Day of   
   NASA's Ames Research Center. "Not only are these fireballs memorable visual   
   events, but also they are of scientific interest. Anyone can participate in a   
   citizen science effort by reporting his or her observations. `Fireballs in the   
   Sky' is a free app that makes this easy. It is made available by Curtin   
   University in partnership with NASA."   
       
   Although Quadrantids can be numerous, they are observed less than other well   
   known meteor showers. One reason is weather. The shower peaks in early January   
   when northern winter is in full swing. Storms and cold tend to keep observers   
   inside. Another reason is brevity. The shower doesn't last long, a few hours   
   at most. Those willing to brave the elements while keeping their eyes on the   
   skies could be rewarded with a spectacular show!   
       
   The source of the Quadrantid meteor shower was unknown until December 2003   
   when Peter Jenniskens of the NASA Ames Research Center found evidence that   
   Quadrantid meteoroids come from 2003 EH1, an "asteroid" that is probably a   
   piece of a comet that broke apart some 500 years ago. Earth intersects the   
   orbit of 2003 EH1 at a perpendicular angle, which means we quickly move   
   through any debris. That's why the shower is so brief.   
       
   Quadrantid meteors take their name from an obsolete constellation, Quadrans   
   Muralis, found in early 19th-century star atlases between Draco, Hercules, and   
   Bootes. It was removed, along with a few other constellations, from crowded   
   sky maps in 1922 when the International Astronomical Union adopted the modern   
   list of 88 officially recognized constellations. Although the Quadrantids now   
   fly out of the constellation Bootes, the meteors kept their old name.   
       
   Quadrantid meteors: they come from a shattered comet and an extinct   
   constellation.   
       
   That sounds like they are worth a look.  Bundle up for chilly meteor viewing   
   on January 3.  It's a great way to start the New Year.   
       
   For more news about backyard astronomy, stay tuned to science.nasa.gov   
       
       
   Regards,   
       
   Roger   
      
   --- DB 3.99 + W10 (1607)   
    * Origin: NCS BBS - Houma, LoUiSiAna (1:3828/7)