The gamma Delphinids, a meteor shower which has not been seen for 83 years, may rain down on the Earth early on the morning of June 12. The show of shooting stars will begin around 4:30 a.m., and continue for 30 minutes - maybe.
The last time this meteor shower was observed was Wednesday, June 11, 1930. The event was recorded by three members of the American Meteor Society, who observed the shower from Maryland, despite a full Moon. Strangely, no other reports of this shower exist. Although this has led some people to question the accuracy of those reports, astronomer Peter Jenniskens of the Ames Research Center believes this shower is about to peak again. Jenniskens bases his calculations on his study of long-period comets. Whether or not we see the meteor shower this year, this will be the last best chance to do so for the next 14 years.
"Only a few meteors from this shower are thought to have been seen in the decades since [1930], and those identifications are tenuous. Recent calculations by scientists indicate that 2013 and 2027 might be the best years for a repeat performance," NASA wrote on its website.
Although it is nearly impossible to calculate how many shooting stars will be seen given the rarity of this display, the American Meteor Society is predicting between 30 to 60 meteors an hour, should the show occur.
If the Earth collides with this cloud of debris, the tiny pieces of rock and dust will be traveling at velocities up to 127,500 MPH, which is high for such objects. The debris which causes meteor showers is left behind from the passage of comets.
The Moon will be just a crescent in the early-evening sky, so it should provide little to no interference to viewing the meteor shower, which would be known as the Delphinids.
To find the constellation Delphinus, look for a parallelogram (lopsided rectangle) of four stars sitting at a slight angle to the horizon. It can be found just to the bottom and to the left of the three bright stars - Deneb, Vega and Altair - which make up the Summer Triangle. Your best views of the meteors will be about 30 degrees away from that center.
To see the meteor shower yourself, go out anywhere under dark skies in North or South America, and make yourself comfortable. Starting at about 9:30 p.m., look east, about halfway up in the sky. No special equipment is needed - just your eyes, although you will need to give them time to adjust to the dark. The greatest number of shooting stars should be seen in the early morning of Tuesday, June 12. Make sure to bring drinks and snacks with you to enjoy your viewing experience.
