We are entering the Alpha Centaurids meteor shower from 31 Jan to 20 Feb. Here is how to spot it.
There is an expected peak of 6 meteors/hour, which is fairly low still, but good enough to notice. We are lucky in Dainfern with darker skies than the cities, so we may appreciate it more. Eskom may also aid us if they are so kind.
To see it, look in the direction of Mars for shooting stars coming from that region. Or more accurately, look in the direction of Taurus. To find either of these landmarks, use the app Sky View Lite.
The meteor shower occurs because the Earth passes through a parcel of space debris left over by a massive comet that passed an unknown amount of time ago. That means it occurs every February when the Earth passes through the same parcel.
Did you know meteors cause the Earth to increase in mass by 50 tons per day?
If you get hit by a flying rock in February, now you can tell your friends why.
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