Watch For Fireballs Over NorCal As 3 Meteor Showers Combine

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Summer meteor showers are in full swing with the Southern Delta Aquariids peak occurring this weekend as chances remain good to see fireballs associated with the ongoing Alpha Capricornid and Perseid meteor showers, according to the American Meteor Society, which took more than 500 reports of fireballs from three U.S. states earlier this week.

The Delta Aquariids, which peak Friday and Saturday, should remain visible through Aug. 21. The shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, but patient skywatchers should be able to see a handful of meteors — about 20 an hour, according to NASA.

Keep in mind the moon will be 1 percent full, making for ideal viewing conditions, assuming local weather conditions are favorable. In Northern California, partly cloudy skies are forecast to give way to mostly cloudy skies overnight Friday and Saturday, according to AccuWeather, so the earlier the stargazing the better.

Meteor Shower Viewing Tips From NASA

According to NASA, find an area well away from city or street lights and come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. Looking halfway between the horizon and the zenith, and 45 degrees from the constellation of Aquarius will improve your chances of viewing the Southern Delta Aquariids. In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors.

Fireball Sightings

Most of the reports of fireballs earlier this week were from Texas, but the nonprofit American Meteor Society said it also received took reports from Oklahoma and Louisiana as well. A fireball is a bright, often softball-sized meteor that enters Earth’s atmosphere at an extreme velocity, the organization said. Most meteors are about the size of a pebble when they enter Earth’s atmosphere.

Last weekend, the group took 150 reports of brilliant fireballs that were seen over Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and northern Alabama.

• Related: 2022 Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons, Other Celestial Events

The fireballs were likely produced by the Alpha Capricornid meteor shower, which reaches a “plateau-like” peak Saturday and Sunday and remains active through Aug. 15, according to the AMS. It’s the sleeper show of the year, producing only about five meteors an hour at the peak, but known for its fireballs.

Could there be more?

Like the Alpha Capricornids, the Perseids are known for their fireballs, which are “larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak,” NASA said, explaining, “This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of cometary material.”

The Alpha Capricornids are still active, and the Perseid meteor shower, also known for fireballs, is building toward an Aug. 11-13 peak, about 50 to 100 meteors an hour at the peak, according to NASA.

The Perseids will have competition from August’s full sturgeon supermoon at the peak, but they’re so prolific and bright that they should still put on a good show.

The Perseid meteor shower remains active through August.

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The shower is called the Perseids because its radiant point is located near the prominent constellation of Perseus the hero.

Check back with Patch for more about the Perseids when the peak approaches.