21 - 22 Nov 2019 - Unicorn Meteor Storm To Be Triggered By Mysterious Comet

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'Unicorn meteor storm' to be triggered by mysterious comet Thursday night

By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer

Updated Nov. 19, 2019 11:29 AM

This is not your typical meteor shower.

On Thursday night, stargazers may get to see several meteors
per second during a rare event known as a meteor storm.

There is a chance that the upcoming alpha Monocerotid
meteor shower could turn into an all-out meteor storm
on the night of Nov. 21, according to Esko Lyytinen and Peter Jenniskens,
two meteor scientists who have been studying the meteor shower.

It is not a guarantee that such an event will unfold,
but Lyytinen and Jenniskens say that there is a “good chance”
that this will bring the first alpha Monocerotids meteor storm
since 1995, when it produced rates of around 400 meteors per hour.

What time to look for the flurry of meteors

Knowing when to look for the potential meteor storm is extremely important.

“Unlike most meteor outbursts which last for several hours,
strong activity from the alpha Monocertids is over within an hour
and easily missed,” the American Meteor Society (AMS) explained on its website.

The outburst is forecast to reach its climax
around 11:50 p.m. EST on Nov. 21, according to the AMS.

Onlookers should start looking for shooting stars around 11 p.m. EST
and continue looking through midnight for the best chance
to see the potential meteor storm.

If you are not outside during this window, you may miss the celestial light show entirely.


“These meteors are never spaced evenly but appear in bunches
so 2-3 meteors may be seen seconds apart and then
an entire minute could go by without any activity,” the AMS said.

What exactly is a ‘meteor storm’

We have all heard of meteor showers, sparked
when the Earth passes through a field of debris left
behind by an asteroid or comet.

“f the dust trail is small and dense,
then the resulting meteor shower may result in hundreds,
or perhaps even thousands of meteors burning up in just minutes,”
the National Weather Service (NWS) explained.
“If this scenario happens, that the meteor shower
is referred to as a meteor storm,” the NWS added.

A burst of 1999 Leonid meteors as seen at 38,000 feet
from Leonid Multi Instrument Aircraft Campaign
(Leonid MAC) with 50 mm camera.
(NASA/Ames Research Center/ISAS/Shinsuke Abe and Hajime Yano)

One of the most prolific meteor storms in recorded history
unfolded on Nov. 17, 1966 when onlookers witnessed
many as 40 meteors per second, or 144,000 meteors per hour,
according to the AMS.

Outburst of unknown origins

The alpha Monocertids is a mysterious meteor shower
as scientists are unsure about when it started,
or what exactly is causing it.
“This outburst is caused by the dust released
by a long-period comet, but the comet itself is still unknown,“
Lyytinen and Jenniskens explained.

Despite these uncertainties, one thing is known for sure:
the meteors radiate from Monoceros,
a faint constellation that is Greek for unicorn
and located just to the left of the well-known constellation Orion.

Contrary to popular belief, shooting stars will be visible
in much of the night sky, not just the area
near the unicorn constellation, as long as clouds do not obscure the sky.

The best viewing conditions for the alpha Monocerotid
meteor shower are expected across the western
and north-central United States with only patchy clouds in the forecast.

Unfortunately, a far-reaching storm will spread clouds
across much of the southern and eastern U.S., as well as eastern Canada.

Clouds are also in the forecast for much
of Alaska and patchy clouds in Hawaii.

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Stargazers should keep in mind that there is a chance
that the meteor storm does not materialize.

Even if the outburst does not unfold, people
should still be able to see up to 10 "sporadic"
meteors per hour, according to the AMS.

Additionally, the moon will not rise until around 3 a.m.
local time, meaning that the shower will not be contested
by the biggest source of natural light pollution.

If the forecast meteor storm does pan out,
it will be just the fifth-known outburst
of the alpha Monocertids on record.

The previous occurrences were recorded in 1925, 1935, 1985, and 1995.

Download the free AccuWeather app
to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on
AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network
on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.


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'Unicorn meteor storm' to be triggered
by mysterious comet Thursday night

This is not your typical meteor shower.

On Thursday night, stargazers may get to see several meteors
per second during a rare event known as a meteor storm
-- an event not seen from this shower in nearly 25 years.

KEEP INFORMED ON www.accuweather.com !!!

https://www.accuweather.com/en/spac...9Rhv7OWGDYDPap-ej9q2HbETQgHGFgQ5dTr1jWsBJVeCk