On the 24th of May 2014, Earth will possibly witness a new meteor shower throughout Friday night and Saturday morning.
This surprise shower stems from Comet 209P/LINEAR, discovered in 2004. If the predictions hold true, Earth is about to be sandblasted with debris, resulting in a show that rivals the highly anticipated Perseids of August!
The meteor shower is radiating from a faint constellation in the northern skies called "Camelopardalis" otherwise known as "Camelopardus" and astrophysicists vary in their predictions for the peak intensity of the May Camelopardalids. It could be anywhere between 100 and 400 meteors an hour or it could possibly reach much higher levels such as 1,000 meteors per hour resulting in a meteor storm! This is definitely a show not to be missed wherever you are on the planet.
Less optimistic studies from the university of Western Ontario show that "given the current relatively weak dust production of the comet, rates could be much lower. With the low dust production, as well as the team's lower estimate of how many debris streams from the comet's previous passes are hanging around in this region of space, it's highly unlikely that we're in for a meteor storm".
Whether or not we're in for a spectacular storm, May 24th is definitely worth a little sky gazing adventure in the heights of Lebanon. So pack your bags, your hiking gear, your wine and don't forget to look up! [LBC]
