THEY KEPT THEIR FINGERS CROSSED
Astronomers and skywatchers waited eagerly for the moment when they could catch the most spectacular falling-star show ever. Astronomers predicted that starting 10.30pm on Friday (May 23, 2014), the Camelopardalids meteor shower would be a great show to watch.
The meteor shower was supposed to be visible in North America. It was predicted that between 3.00 and 4.00am on Saturday (May 24, 2014), stargazers would see a few hundred meteors per hour.
The meteor shower comes from the trail of dust behind a small, dim comet known as 209P/Linear. The debris gets pulled into Earth's orbit this year by the force of gravity from planet Jupiter.
What is a meteor shower?
A meteor shower is made up of space rocks that burn up upon hitting Earth's atmosphere, producing a bright flash of light that looks like a falling star.
The moment of truth The star show that had thousands of astronomers waiting excitedly was not as spectacular as hoped. Starting around 10.30pm on Friday night, people in the United States, Canada and Mexico could see the meteor shower. But they only saw occasional streaks of light zipping across the night sky. Passing clouds and light pollution made it worse.
Astronomers explained that they were not very sure what to expect from the comet 209P/Linear which they only discovered in 2004. A professor said, "Meteor showers are like the weather. They are a little bit hard to predict."
Stargazers will have to wait until August for the annual Perseids meteor shower which happens when Earth's orbit passes through debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. AFP PHOTO/Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Stargazers went to bed early Saturday morning, disappointed with the weak show. Some astronomers had even flown in from Europe to Canada to watch the meteor shower, while others had traveled to southwestern USA where the skies would be clear.
Disappointed stargazers need not wait too long though. Come August, they will be able to watch the Perseids meteor show which happens every August and lasts for several days.
Have you ever seen a meteor? Some people call it a shooting star and say that if you make a wish when you see a shooting star, your wish will come true. Do you believe this?
Featured image: AFP PHOTO / Ye Aung Thu
