Alpha Capricornids

Alpha Capricornids is a meteor shower that takes place as early as 15 July and continues until around 10 August.^[1] The meteor shower was discovered by Hungarian astronomer Miklos von Konkoly-Thege in 1871.This shower has infrequent but relatively bright meteors, with some fireballs. Parent body is comet 169P/NEAT.

Peter Jenniskens and Jeremie Vaubaillon identified the parent body as asteroid 2002 EX12, which in the return of 2005 was found weakly active near perihelion.^[2] This object is now called comet 169P/NEAT.

According to Jenniskens and Vaubaillon, the meteor shower was created about 3,500 to 5,000 years ago, when about half of the parent body disintegrated and fell into dust.^[2] The dust cloud evolved into Earth's orbit recently, causing a shower with peak rates of 2-5/h, sometimes having outbursts of bright flaring meteors with rates up to 5-9/h.

The bulk of the dust will not be in Earth's path until the 24th century. The Alpha Capricornids are expected to become a major annual storm in 2220–2420 A.D., one that will be "stronger than any current annual shower."^[2]

Notes

Meteor showers By name Andromedids Antihelion Source Aquariids Eta Aquariids Kappa Aquariids North Delta Aquariids North Iota Aquariids South Iota Aquariids Southern Delta Aquariids Tau Aquariids Aquilids South June Aquilids Arietids Daytime Eps. Arietids Daytime May Arietids Aurigids Alpha Aurigids Delta Aurigids Nov. Iota Aurigids Bootids (June Bootids) Canis-Minorids Cancrids (Delta Cancrids) Capricornids Alpha Capricornids Daytime Capri.-Sagitt. Carinids (Eta Carinids) Cassiopeids (Beta Cassiopeids) Centaurids Alpha Centaurids Omicron Centaurids Cetids Omega Cetids Pi Cetids Coma Berenicids Cygnids (Kappa Cygnids) Doradids (Gamma Doradids) Draconids Eridanids (Eta Eridanids) Geminids (Epsilon Geminids) Herculids (Tau Herculids) Hydrids (Sigma Hydrids) Leonids Leonis Minorids (Dec. Leonis Minorids) Lyrids Eta Lyrids June Lyrids Monocerotids Alpha Monocerotids Normids (Gamma Normids) Orionids Pegasids Perseids Daytime Zeta Perseids September Epsilon Perseids Zeta Perseids Phoenicids (July Phoenicids) Piscis Austrinids Puppids (Pi Puppids) Puppid-Velids Quadrantids Scorpiids Alpha Scorpiids North Omega Scorpiids South Omega Scorpiids Serpentids (Kappa Serpentids) Sextantids (Daytime Sextantids) Taurids Beta Taurids Daytime Beta Taurids Northern Taurids Southern Taurids Theta Centaurids Ursids Virginids Alpha Virginids Gamma Virginids Eta Virginids Theta Virginids Iota Virginids Lambda Virginids Mu Virginids Pi Virginids Psi Virginids March Virginids By peak date January 4 February 8 February 10 March 14 April 17 April 22–23 April 26 May 6 June 7 June 27 July 28–29 July 13 July 30 July 31 – August 1 August 13 September 1 October 8 October 10 October 21 October 24 November 9 November 12 November 18 November 21–22 December 5–6 December 13–14 December 15 December 22 Related topics American Meteor Society Earth-grazing fireball International Meteor Organization Meteor procession North American Meteor Network Population index Radiant Zenithal Hourly Rate See also List of meteor showers