Aurigid Meteor Shower To Illuminate Night Sky

The Aurigid meteor shower will be active from August 28 to September 5, reaching its peak activity on September 1.

According to the Astrophysics Department of the Faculty of Physics at Baku State University, the Aurigids are notable for their high-speed meteors and intriguing origin. The source of the meteor shower is the long-period comet C/1911 N1 (Kiess), which was discovered in 1911 by American astronomer Carl Clarence Kiess. The comet belongs to a class of long-period comets that orbit the Sun approximately once every 2,000–2,100 years.

As the comet approaches the Sun, dust and small rock particles released from its surface through sublimation - the process by which a substance changes directly from a solid to a gas without becoming liquid - spread along its orbit. As Earth passes through this stream of particles each year, meteors become visible in the atmosphere.

Aurigids enter Earth's atmosphere at a speed of approximately 66–67 kilometers per second. Their high velocity produces bright but short-lived streaks of light in the sky. Most of the meteors completely burn up at an altitude of 70–100 kilometers and do not reach the Earth's surface.

The apparent point from which the meteors emerge, known as the radiant, is located in the constellation Auriga. In reality, the meteoroids travel through space in nearly parallel directions, but from an observer's perspective, they appear to originate from the same point in the sky.

From Baku, the most favorable time to observe the Aurigids will be during the night from August 31 to September 1, particularly from midnight until dawn. During this period, the radiant will rise sufficiently high above the horizon. Since the radiant can reach a maximum altitude of approximately 61 degrees in Baku, observers may see an average of around five meteors per hour under suitable conditions.

In 2026, moonlight will somewhat interfere with observations during the peak of the Aurigid meteor shower. As a result, some of the fainter meteors may not be visible, and the actual number of observable meteors could be lower.

A telescope is not required to observe the meteor shower. The best results can be achieved with the naked eye under clear skies, away from city lights. Rather than looking directly at the radiant, observers are advised to focus on an area of the sky approximately 30–40 degrees away from it, where meteor trails tend to appear longer and more distinct.

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