A second celestial event for the week could be on its way for west coast (North American) viewers this evening, as the stage is set for the seldom seen Aurigid meteor shower, created by debris from the comet Kiess, to be impressive this year.

Sky and Telescope is reporting that, based on a 1911 observation, the earth is now poised to pass through a debris field from the comet that is just now completing its latest 2,000 year revolution around our sun, an event in the making since 82 BC! How cool.

The show could get underway around 4:30 PCT, give or take a half-hour, so it is another night owl party. The shower should appear to originate 60-70 deg. latitude in the northeastern sky. While SoCal bound viewers will have to watch through the light of the gibbous moon, Oregon viewers are perfectly situated, as the moon will set at 12:04 pm and stay hidden until 9:37am on Saturday. Such a rare treat is sure to deliver a dose of cosmic mind warp, don’t miss your opportunity to watch the wheels turn!

 

Tags: Aurigid,Meteor+Shower,Comet+Kiess,Portland,JP+Oliva

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