Aristotle believed. . . .the regions centered around the equator -
too hot to be inhabited -
he dubbed them the torrid zones.
We know them today as the tropics -
both share the equator as one of their boundaries.
The north torrid zone extends to the Tropic of Cancer.
The south reaches the Tropic of Capricorn.
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| visit the equator |
Each year two meteor showers converge over our late summer skies - the famous Perseids and the lesser known Delta Aquariids. The best time to watch for both is before the moon rises in late July.
A meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by a comet. As the bits of rock and dust in the stream of debris collide with the earth’s atmosphere, they burn up and create fiery streaks across the sky.
Delta Aquariids always peak in late July but the waning gibbous and last quarter moon of 2024 will light up the sky past midnight - making it more challenging to view.
Past 11:00 a.m. on July 16 a meteorite passed over New York and New Jersey. Wrapped in a bright ball of light and trailing loud explosive bangs. Fortunately this stellar light and sound extravaganza did not land on earth or cause any havoc.
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| Star Fall by Wang Zheng, Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021 |
The Southern Delta Aquariids are active beginning in mid-July and are visible until late August. These faint meteors are difficult to spot, and when the moon is visible, they disappear from view. With the moon out our best chance to see the Southern Delta Aquariids is at the shower's peak between August 29th and 30th.
