Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Thursday, May 15th.  Today the sun will be up for 14 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 9:03.   The moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 10:10 this evening.  Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:13.  |  A possible meteor storm is predicted for the morning of Saturday May 24th, between the hours of 3 and 4 a.m. with the first meteors showing up shortly after 1:30 a.m. and building after that.  Meteor showers are produced by the debris of comets.  The comet that will be responsible is 209P/LINEAR discovered in 2004 by Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research, though the comet has been in and near its present orbit for centuries.  The comet will pass closest to the Earth on May 28th, it will be very dim.  The debris cloud will be ahead if it, crossing the earth’s orbit 4 days earlier.  The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society is attempting to set up an all night star party/meteor watch.  Stay tuned.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Comet 209P/LINEAR crosses the Earth’s orbit behind the Earth around May 28, 2014. The “stilts” on the comet’s orbit show that it is coming from north of the Earth’s orbital plane. Credit: Bob Moler’s LookingUp program.

The expected radiant for the meteors of the May Camelopardids, the meteors from the comet 209P/LINEAR at 3 a.m. on May 24, 2014. Credit: My LookingUp program.