Memorial Day weekend might go out with a bang, as scientists say a shattered comet has the potential to light up the night sky.
Why it matters: The comet was first discovered almost 100 years ago and has continued to break in pieces over time, reports The Washington Post. This will be the first time it has appeared since 2006, per BGR.
What they’re saying: According to the Space Weather Archive blog, “The shower could be as intense as 1,000 meteors per hour or as weak as nothing at all.”
Details: The meteor shower will be visible in North and Central America, reports Deseret News.
- Its visibility will depend on the speed of the comet. According to Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Center in Alabama, “If the debris from SW3 was traveling more than 220 miles per hour when it separated from the comet, we might see a nice meteor shower,” per digital news site Alabama.
Check out this article by Deseret News to learn more about the history of Tau Herculids and how to view the meteor shower.