* Astronomy

Some showers to watch out for this week while waiting for the Perseids.


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The Kappa Cygnids meteors are active from a wide radiant located in southern Draco, four degrees northwest of the fourth magnitude star Kappa Cygni. Current rates would be near one shower member per hour. A large percentage of these meteors are bright, often fireball class meteors with brilliant colours. These meteors are quite slow, with a velocity of 25 km/sec. This activity is not well seen from the Southern Hemisphere.

The Alpha Capricornids are active from a wide radiant located in western Aquarius, three degrees northeast of the fourth magnitude star Epsilon Aquarii. Current rates are about one per hour. They have a velocity of 23 km/sec.

The Antihelion meteor shower radiant is currently located in north-eastern Capricornus, six degrees northeast of the third magnitude star Nashira (Delta Capricornii). The radiant is large and diffuse. Expect to see two shower members per hour.
The source of the antihelions is from unknown objects orbiting the Sun similar to the Earths orbit.
These objects are most likely asteroids, which produce stony and metallic debris whose density is much greater than material produced by comets. They are the result of displacement of asteroid material by Jupiter's gravity into much shorter orbits. The antihelion source is active all year from an area of the sky nearly opposite that of the sun. The centre of this source will move approximately one degree eastward per day and travels through many constellations over the course of a year. These meteors are therefore not named after just one constellation.

The North Delta Aquarids are currently active from a radiant located in central Aquarius, five degrees southeast of the third magnitude star Sadalmelik (Alpha Aquarii). It lies quite close to the Anthelion radiant point. At 42 km/sec the meteors are quite fast.
Current hourly rates should be near one shower member per hour. This shower is predicted to peak near August 8 with a ZHR of 4.


The Southern Iota Aquarids meteor shower peaked on August 4 with a ZHR of two. With these low rates one would be lucky to see one shower member per hour. The radiant is currently located in south-western Aquarius, five degrees west of the third magnitude star Delta Aquarii. At 34 km/sec the meteors have average velocities.


The Southern Delta Aquarids are active from a radiant located in western Aquarius, four degrees northeast of the third magnitude star Delta Aquarii. Currently rates are about 2-3 per hour, depending on how high the radiant is located in your sky.
With an entry velocity of 41 km/sec, most activity from this radiant would be of average velocities. These meteors tend to be faint so dark skies are needed. This shower peaked on July 28.

The Pisces Austrinids are currently active from a radiant located in eastern Pisces Austrinus, five degrees northeast of the first magnitude star Fomalhaut (Alpha Piscis Austrini). This shower peaked on the July 28 with a ZHR of 3. Current rates would be near one per hour as seen from the most favoured southern latitudes, where the radiant rises higher in the sky. From the Northern
Hemisphere rates would only be less one per hour since the radiant does not climb high into the sky. These meteors are best seen near 0300 LDT, when the radiant lies highest above the horizon. These meteors are of average velocity.