Delta Aquarids Shower, July 12 to August 23, 2014 - Meteors Giving Us A Complex

#17, The Star from
Ciro Marchetti's The Legacy of the Divine Tarot©

In May we had the Eta Aquarids shower and now, out of the dark of southern sky, in the wee hours before dawn, comes the Delta Aquarids meteor shower.  Although this is not a particularly brilliant display, there are still plenty of interesting facts about the Delta Aquarids shower.  Like their cousin the Eta showers, the Delta showers’ radiant (point of origin) is the constellation, Aquarius.

(see blog: http://ladyoracle56.blogspot.com/2013/05/eta-aquarid-meteor-shower-may-4th-and.html for the story of Aquarius and Ganymede)  The third brightest star in the constellation is called Delta, hence the naming of this particular meteor shower, Delta Aquarids. 

Also like the Eta showers, the Delta is more visible from the southern hemisphere.  The peak nights for observing Delta's rain of fire this year are July 25th and 27th.  However, if you live in a more rural area, you can eek out a few more nights of viewing before moonlight interferes with visibility. At peak, the Delta Aquarids meteors fall at a rate of 20 per hour with a speed of approximately 25 miles per second.  Don’t blink and don’t despair. You will still be able to catch sight of some of Delta’s meteors during the Perseids Shower in mid-August. 

#19, The Sun from
Ciro Marchetti's Legacy of the Divine Tarot©

The source of the Delta Aquarids meteors is still listed as ‘unknown,’ but the current culprit for the showers, and probably the correct one, is comet, 96P Machholz.  This comet was discovered in 1986 by Donald Machholz and it orbits the Sun every five years.

The Delta Aquarid shower is one of many minor summer showers that comprise a shower group called the Aquarid – Capricornid Complex. These showers are part of the

Summer Antihelion Source display.  The Antihelion Source, or ANT, is a large, oval-shaped area of space housing the radiants for several minor meteor showers.  Where most of us amateur astronomers will never be able to tell what meteor comes from what particular shower during this summer cacophony, professional astronomers can certainly tell the difference.  They also say that with careful observation we can as well.  I don’t know about you, but I favor the, “Ooooh, fireball pretty,” approach.  Below is a list of the Aquarid – Capricornid Complex/ANT showers and their peak nights.  Mark your calendars, pack up your favorite lawn chair and get ready to enjoy.

LADY ORACLE

AQUARID–CAPRICORNID COMPLEX/ ANT SUMMER SHOWERS

DELTA AQUARIDS July 28th and 29th (visibility may be better in August this year)

PISCES AUSTRALIDS  July 31st

ALPHA CAPRICORNIDS  August 2nd (known for slow fireballs)

IOTA AQUARIDS August 6th and 7th

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Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower, May 4th and 5th - "Grin and Bear It"

The predawn hours of May 4th and 5th are peak viewing

opportunities May’s Eta Aquarids meteor shower.  This annual shower comes out of the Eastern sky at approximately 4:00 a.m. no matter where you are on our planet.  The radiant for this particular shower is the star system that makes up the water jar in the constellation of Aquarius, the Water Bearer. This cluster is Y-shaped and its primary star is named Eta. The instructions for finding the radiant group sounds an awful lot like Peter Pan talking to Wendy. “Second star to the left and straight on to morning.”  Luckily, you don’t have to find the radiant of a meteor shower to enjoy the show.

The source for the meteors of the Eta Aquarid shower is none other than the debris field of good, old, reliable Halley’s Comet.  These meteors have a ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rate, or how many fall per hour) of thirty to fifty visible meteors in the Northern Hemisphere and sixty to eighty meteors in the Southern Hemisphere.  We’re in luck too, because this year’s waning crescent moon gives us a darker sky and astronomer’s are predicting a much better meteor display than we had last year.

For you Star Trek fans out there (and who isn’t?) the constellation of Aquarius immortalizes the story of Ganymede (as in the quadrant), a Trojan prince who, while watching his father’s flock on day, had the misfortune to be kidnapped by Aquila, Zeus’ giant eagle.  The eagle, under orders by the king of gods himself, carried the lad to Olympus where he was forced to serve drinks for a living.  Ganymede rebelled and poured the contents of his water jar over the Earth, causing a global flood.  Zeus felt a little guilty for turning a former prince into a slave and created the constellation of Aquarius to honor his libation bearer.  The kid probably would have been happier with better tips, but that’s the rich and powerful for you.

Warmer weather and clearer skies will give many of us the opportunity to enjoy the Eta Aquarid shower this weekend.  It promises to be worth getting up early, or staying up late for.  You won’t need protective eye gear - just a comfy spot.  Enjoy.

LADY ORACLE

Astrological Trends for May, 2013 - “Eclipses, Meteors and Squares, Oh My!”

May is jam packed with cosmic activity this month: Two eclipses, a meteor shower and a full on square between Uranus and Pluto. Right out of the gate we’ll notice that Taurus is holding a planetary rager with ‘A’ list guests. The Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars are all hanging out with the bull for the first half of the month and on May 4th and 5th, we receive a visit from the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. 

Your ideas and sense of purpose germinated under the Aries Sun and Taurus’ ability to focus and maintain a steady pace make things take root this month.  The last quarter moon on May 2nd is in Aquarius. Stay the course. No drifting off on tangents.  Finish up the projects you began in April using fiery Aries (tarot’s Wands) energy. You can follow Aquarius’ different drum another day. Watch out for possessiveness when it comes to marking your territory during the first half of May. Remember, you have two ears and one mouth. Use them equally.  Mercury’s wonderful grounding energy will assist you in more open communications if you’ll let it.  Also, Mercury helps you to see further down the road and to plan for the long term reward. The Taurus/Mercury mix is not about what’s new and innovative, but more about common sense, as well as the tried and true.  

Venus urges you to express your affection with more than just words this month. Be romantic.  Use thoughtful gestures that show the people in your life how much you appreciate them. One note of caution: There’s still that air of possessiveness that must be acknowledged and restrained. Don’t get creepy.  Stay balanced in your relationships and watch out for the green-eyed monster. (No, not Mothra) Venus is the first to leave Taurus’ party on May 9th, just as the New Moon arrives.  Finding our natural rhythms may be easier said than done with Saturn in Scorpio seated in opposition to our New Moon in Taurus. Make no sudden moves or big decisions.  Hold your course steady just a few more days.

The New Moon on the 9th leads us into our first eclipse of the month.  Eclipses ramp up the power level and this one is no exception. We’ll experience an Annular Solar Eclipse (Moon’s apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun and makes the Sun look like a ring) on May 10th. This eclipse will be visible only to the Southern Hemisphere, but the power surge is planetary. Use it. The Uranus/Pluto power build up continues until the square becomes exact on May 20th.  More on that later.

Mars stays with Taurus for the entire month, but instead of the aggressive, no holds barred energy we’ve come to expect from Mars, we’ll feel a more focused, contemplative energy - a direct result of associating with patient, methodical (tarot’s Pentacles) Taurus. Where the first half of the month has been all about staying focused on our commitments, the second half of the month is more fun loving.  On May 25th we’ll have a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse leading us straight into the Full Moon on the 28th. I’ll be cover more on May’s events in up coming blogs.  For right now simply enjoy your ability to focus and work on your long-term goals.

LADY ORACLE

Here's a link to NASA's annular solar eclipse on May 10th