Word: perseid
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...each year over various parts of the globe, dramatic displays like the 1966 Leonids occur rarely, only a few times each century. But the next great meteor storm of the 20th century could occur this week -- if astronomers' hunches are right. Conditions seem ideal, they say, for the annual Perseid meteor shower to develop into a vivid display that should be visible in many parts of the northern hemisphere on the night...
Despite the Continent's apparently superior vantage point, Marsden says, "I wouldn't make plans to take a special trip to Europe to see the meteors." While the 1992 Perseid showers, visible over Europe, occurred precisely at the predicted time, he notes, the 1991 Perseids, seen in Japan, were inexplicably almost three hours late. Should the meteors be that tardy this year, they would find Europe in daylight but could make a spectacle of themselves in the night skies across the entire U.S. and Canada...
Luckily, planet and comet have never been in the same place at the same time. The only visible effect of the crossed paths is the annual Perseid meteor shower, caused when lingering comet dust burns up in the earth's atmosphere. But humanity may not be so lucky for long: there is a chance that the next time Swift-Tuttle comes around, probably in the year 2126, it will fall to earth. The odds are small -- 10,000 to 1 against -- according to the International Astronomical Union's Brian Marsden. But the downside is so great that Marsden has urged...
EVERY AUGUST, COMET SWIFT-TUTTLE LEAVES A spectacular calling card. The trail of dust it sheds on its journey around the sun intersects Earth's orbit and flares into the Perseid meteor shower. The comet itself last appeared in 1862, and based on the orbit calculated at that time, it should have showed up again between 1979 and 1983. It didn...