The sky is so gracious upon the inhabitants of the Earth this year; celestial events, happening one after the other have got magnificent cosmic displays. People of land have just witnessed a Supermoon on January 1, and now the first Meteor Shower of 2018 sees their way.
What is Meteor Shower?
People know Meteor Shower with the common name of shooting stars that appear to emerge from the same origin. Well, meteors are not the stars, but they are the parts of comets and asteroids, which are just other celestial bodies, like stars, planets, and moons. When so many meteoroids enter in the Earth atmosphere, they come in contact with gaseous particles. The friction between them produces a tremendous amount of heat that creates a glow. As a result of this, human beings see a spectacular view of light, which they call as shooting stars. All the meteors run parallel to each other. For an observer from the Earth, they appear to share the same origin. That’s why they are famous as Meteor Shower.
When is the Next Meteor Shower of 2018?
Meteoroids usually hit the Earth surface in the last week of December and First week of January. People can observe the peak of the first meteor shower of 2018 on the night of January 3 and January 4. In the UK, Meteor Shower would appear on the same dates. There are chances to witness this magnificent display of lights till January 12, 2018. The northern hemisphere is the perfect place to enjoy this spectacular scene of shooting stars. People living in these areas are lucky enough to experience other natural treats, like Northern Lights.
Can Supermoon Impact the Meteor Shower of 2018?
So many celestial events are lined up this year, apart from the scene of shooting stars. We have just witnessed the Wolf Moon or the first Supermoon of 2018 on the New Year’s Eve. People are intriguing if it would be possible for them to see the Meteor Shower with all its glow or not? The light produced in the collision of meteors with particles in Earth’s sphere is much brighter. There are hardly any chances for extraordinary brightness of moon to overshadow the light. Still there seems to be a sense of competition between different celestial bodies. An extra-bright moon might act as a distraction, but shooting stars have got their charm.
Those, who couldn’t get crazy enough on New Year’s Eve, or didn’t have the opportunity to see the iconic Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, have more options waiting for them. They can get to see the Meteor Shower of 2018 and the lunar eclipse on January 31.
