'June Boötid' meteor shower will peak in Pittsburgh area tonight
Jun. 27—The annual June Boötid meteor shower will stick around until July 2, but its peak — and the best chance to catch a glimpse — will be tonight. In the Pittsburgh area, the shower will be visible from dusk well into the night.
But what is it, and why is Pittsburgh positioned so well to see it?
'Boötid'?
The meteor shower is named for the constellation where it appears to emanate from, Boötes. But its actual origin is a debris trail left behind by the comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke, according to astronomy website In the Sky. Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through one of these debris trails. "Shooting stars" can be seen when one of the debris pieces collides with Earth's atmosphere, burning up at an altitude between 43 and 62 miles above the ground.
"This is one of a dozen or so meteor showers throughout the year," said Dan Vanden Berk, associate professor of physics at Saint Vincent College in Unity. "It peaks June 27, but it's not usually especially exciting."
On a few occasions, including 1998, 1927, 1921 and 1916, observers saw as many as 100 meteors per hour.
Well-situated in Pittsburgh
The Earth's rotation turns Pittsburgh to face toward the direction of the incoming meteors, maximizing the number that produce short trails as they burn up.
In the Sky officials said some will also enter the atmosphere at a more-oblique angle, producing long-lived meteors. Peak activity is expected to be around 7 p.m. today. Meteors can be seen best when their radiant point is above the horizon. In Pittsburgh, that will be the case all night.
In tonight's sky, observers can see Boötes by looking to the east. The constellation will be situated west of the moon's position.
If sitting outside doesn't appeal to you, the shower can be seen in a live stream online, courtesy of the "Secrets of Space" YouTube channel.
Burning up
June Boötid meteroids strike Earth's atmosphere at an average speed of 18 km per second, or roughly 40,000 mph. They are considered slow-moving meteors, according to SpaceWeather.com.
As they enter Earth's atmosphere, they immediately begin to heat up and fall apart, Vanden Berk said.
"They move pretty quickly and burn up fast," he said. "Where that happens in the atmosphere depends on exactly how fast they're moving, their direction and how big they are. On very rare occasions, they are big enough that a small piece will hit the ground."
More meteors
If the June Boötids don't put on a show, Vanden Berk said astronomy enthusiasts need only wait a couple months, when the annual Perseid meteor shower takes place.
"That typically peaks around Aug. 12 or 13," he said. "On a nice clear, dark night, you can see about 100 meteors per hour. You also want the moon to be dark, and it will be a thin crescent, close to a new moon, so there's a good chance of seeing a lot of meteors."
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
