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Sighting the Zodiacal Light and Meteor Showers in October

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Zodiacal Light


Zodiacal Light ESO Y Beletsky

About an hour before sunrise till October 17, observers in the Northern Hemisphere can view one of the most elusive astronomical phenomena visible in the sky—the Zodiacal Light. This cone-shaped area of light is easily mistaken for the glow of far away city lights over the dark horizon, and is also called the false dawn. It is caused by sunlight reflecting off cosmic dust particles left behind after formation of planets about five billion years ago, and dust emanating from comet tails.

Brian May, lead guitarist of the popular band ‘Queen’ is an astronomy and astrophysics enthusiast too. He finally completed his PhD thesis on the Zodiacal Dust Cloud in 2007, 36 years after starting it and having abandoning it to pursue a career in music. It’s never too late to do your doctorate!!!

Meteors of the Month


Meteor (NASA)

Draconids
A minor shower, Draconids produce only about 10 meteors per hour, from dust grains left behind by Comet Giacobini-Zinner, first discovered in 1900. It is visible annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the night of October 7. 

Southern Taurids
Rich in fireballs the Southern Taurids are long lasting (active for over two months) showers, but rarely produce more than five meteors per hour, making for a barely noticeable maximum on October 8 and 9. They are often responsible for increased reports of fireballs from September 7-November 19. 

Orionids

An average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak, Orionids are produced from dust grains left behind by comet Halley, known and observed since ancient times. It was last sighted in 1986. The shower is visible annually from October 2-November 7 and will peak on the night of October 21 this year. This year, the waning gibbous moon will block some meteors, but the Orionids are generally bright and may still put on a good show. 

Visibility: Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from their respective constellations, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Aadil Desai is an amateur astronomer interested in observational astronomy of solar and lunar eclipses, comets, meteor showers, deep sky objects, planetary, solar and lunar observations, sketching astronomical objects at the telescope and astrophotography since 1981.

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