We have another very nice, fall week ahead. No rain in the forecast other than a stray sprinkle midweek.
So, given the quiet weather, we will highlight a couple of cool astronomical events!
2024 may very well go down as one of the best astronomical years ever.
With just a little bit of effort, you could easily have checked several bucket list items in the last several months.
The good times just keep on rolling! Just last night we had another great view of the Northern Lights, right in our backyard!
This shot is from Peter in Gloucester, MA.
October is going to be another fantastic month in the night sky.
Let’s talk about a few things in store this week…
Coming up Tuesday night, the Draconid Meteor Shower. While this is not typically one of the better shows of the year, there are a few reasons why I wouldn’t completely write this one off.
Typically, we have to wait until after midnight to see the best meteor showers as they almost always appear to emanate from constellations that rise above the horizon late at night.
The Draconids get their name from their origin constellation Draco, “The Dragon” which is located in the northern sky. Therefore, we should be able to see some meteors earlier in the evening, really any time after dark.
More good news, the viewing conditions look great! Skies will be mostly clear Tuesday night and there will be very little natural light pollution as the waxing crescent Moon will be setting shortly after 9pm. The only real bright object in the sky will be the planet Venus in the western sky.
As always, to maximize your chances of see a few shooting stars, you should find a location with as little artificial light as possible and also one with a wide, unobstructed view of the sky.
Best case scenario, you may catch 1 meteor every 5 minutes or so…not a blockbuster show, but still pretty cool!
The meteor shower may end up just being the appetizer this week. The Comet is making a comeback!
Comet C/2023 A3 was briefly and barely visible last week in the early morning sky. In the end, most folks were unable to see it as it was very faint and low to the horizon.
We will have a much better chance this time around. Starting on Friday night and lasting for several days, the Comet will be visible in the western sky just AFTER sunset.
On Friday it will be very low on the horizon (about 4 degrees) and likely a bit tough to spot.
In the nights to follow, conditions should get better and better!
On Saturday evening, it will be around 8 degrees above the horizon and visible for about an hour or so. Even when the Comet’s head sinks below the horizon about an hour after sunset, the long wispy tail may still be visible for a while longer.
By Sunday, the Comet’s head will be about 9 degrees above the western horizon about an hour after sunset.
It will continue to get higher and higher each successive night next week only starting to fade in brightness later in the week thanks to more and more light from the waxing Moon.
As always, we would love to see and share your pictures! Send them to weather@wbztv.com
Happy Viewing!
Click here for Westford snow storm data and past totals or select “Winter Snowfall“ under “Pages” on the left hand side.
For more up to date forecast information follow me on Twitter (@terrywbz) or follow the WBZ weather team on Facebook, search WBZWeather
Reader Comments