MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – Did you miss last night’s first major meteor shower of the year?
Worry not, because the Quadrantid meteor shower can still be seen at night until Monday.
Besides, it is just one of the many other astronomical events that can be seen from the country’s night sky this year, according to Frederick Gabriana, a mathematician and positional astronomer from the Rizal Technological University (RTU).
This developed as Ruby de la Cruz, chair of the RTU Department of Astronomy, said that the Quadrantid meteor shower will be highlighted by fireballs.
The annual Quadrantid meteor shower that started to pass the Earth’s atmosphere last Jan. 1 will be visible until next Monday.
But the peak of its stream was at 3 a.m. today.
De la Cruz said at least 40 meteors or falling stars can be seen per hour.
The meteors streak into the Earth’s atmosphere at the speed of 90 miles per hour, at least 50 miles above the Earth’s surface.
De la Cruz explained that meteors are particles of a comet and that particles of the meteor shower that will hit the Earth’s atmosphere will be incinerated, thus the streaking fireballs.
Meanwhile, Gabriana said yesterday that based on his top 10 list of astronomical events in 2013, last night’s Quadrantid meteor shower will be followed by the appearance of planet Jupiter on the Earth’s moon on Jan. 22.
He said this event is a good opportunity for photographers because the largest planet in the universe can be seen a half degree from the moon.
Gabriana also forecast the occultation of Spica on March 28, which will be highlighted by the hour-long disappearance and reappearance of the full moon.
It will be followed by a partial lunar eclipse on April 26; Saturn at opposition on April 28; the Eta-Aquarid meteor shower on May 6; Jupiter’s appearance by one degree from Venus on May 29; the thinnest crescent of the moon on Aug. 7; the appearance of comet C/2012 S1 from Nov. 21 to Dec. 10; and the Geminid meteor shower on Dec. 14.
Gabriana said that all values of the above astronomical events were calculated from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) astronomical observatory in Quezon City.