When we think of meteor showers, we imagine bright flashes of shooting stars in the dark sky. But did you know that some meteor showers occur during the daytime, while the Sun is above the horizon? Surprisingly, one of the most active of these – the Arietids meteor shower – can be glimpsed with the naked eye. Intrigued? Let’s dig in and find out more about this daytime meteor shower and how to see it!
What Is A Daytime Meteor Shower?
Daytime meteor showers are those whose radiants are close to the Sun in the sky, so the meteors typically enter Earth’s atmosphere during the daytime. As a result, they are very difficult or even impossible to see with the naked eye. Usually, they are detected using special techniques – radar or radio methods.
Here are some notable daytime meteor showers:
- Daytime ζ (Zeta) Perseids (ZPE). This meteor shower usually happens from 20 May to 5 July, peaking around 13 June. Its radiant is only 16 degrees from the Sun, near the constellation Perseus. The speed of meteors is around 29 km/s, which is considered quite low. The activity of this shower (ZHR) is near 40.
- Daytime β (Beta) Taurids (BTA) is normally active between 5 June and 18 July, with the peak around 29 June. The radiant is in the constellation Taurus. The maximum hourly rate typically reaches about 25, and the speed of meteors is around 30 km/s.
These showers can’t typically be seen visually, but they play a significant role in scientific studies. Using radar systems and radio-echo techniques, astronomers can track the ionisation trails meteors leave behind in the upper atmosphere.
What’s So Special About the Arietids Meteor Shower?
The Arietids are the most intense daytime meteor shower observable by radar, producing about 50–100 meteors per hour! Their meteor rate exceeds that of other daytime showers. This Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) is comparable to or even greater than some of the most famous nighttime showers. For comparison, the ZHR of the best-known Perseids is typically around 100.
The Arietids meteor shower is active from 29 May to 17 June annually, peaking around 7 June. Their radiant is located only 30 degrees from the Sun, in the constellation Aries. The meteors are passing the Earth at speeds of approximately 38-42 km/s, producing strong ionisation trails, which are ideal for radar detection.
Arietids’ Origin
The source of this shower is still a mystery and a subject of debate. Scientists are not sure where Arietid meteoroids come from. Some astronomers suggest they are debris from the sungrazing asteroid 1566 Icarus. Another possibility is that the Arietids come from the breakup of a giant comet 96P/Machholz thousands of years ago.
Best Viewing Time In The UK
Since the Arietids are a daytime meteor shower, most meteors occur while the Sun is above the horizon, making them invisible to the naked eye. However, there is a brief opportunity to spot them just before dawn, when the radiant rises, and the sky is still dark enough to observe some meteors.
This year, on 7 June, the radiant of the Arietids will rise at around 02:39 BST. The astronomical twilight begins around 02:51 BST – the point at which the Sun reaches 18 degrees below the horizon.
During this narrow window between 02:39 and 02:51 BST, the sky will be dark enough for the observation. You need to look towards the east-northeast horizon. The meteors that are visible are likely to be Earthgrazers – very bright and slow-moving meteors that enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
Viewing Tips
To observe the Arietids meteor shower, choose a dark site away from city lights with an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon. Please note that it is essential to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for at least 20 minutes. So, it is advisable to arrive a bit earlier.
Arietids appearing before dawn are very often slow with bright and long trails, since they are moving horizontally through the Earth’s atmosphere.
So, patience and clear skies will allow you to catch a glimpse of this mysterious daytime meteor shower – a truly magical way to begin the day!
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