2019 Alpha Monocerotid Meteor Shower

[Christopher K.]

Well, here's a real treat...or will it be for Baton Rouge?

Jenniskens and Lyytinen are saying there may be an outburst of the Alpha Monocerotids. The outbursts of 1925, 1935, 1985 and 1995 are well-known--and the 1995 event had an advanced prediction so observers got ready. (The shower radiant is actually in Canis Minor.)

Baton Rougeans should be vigilant for a two-hour period--from 10:50pm Thursday night to 12:50am Friday morning. The radiant will be rather low and so many of the Alpha Monocerotids seen may shoot up from the eastern horizon. If the prediction accurate, we would see two a minute--four a minute if lucky--in a cloudless sky during the time period of about 11:30pm to 12:10am. Alas, here is the NOAA forecast for 11pm Thursday to 1am Friday...
precipitation potential, 0%
sky cover, 84%
relative humidity, 97%
temperature, 17˚C
surface wind, SE 5 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that both the transparency rating will be "too cloudy to forecast" (0 out of 5) and the seeing rating will be "poor" (2 out of 5). All that generates a rating of POOR.

The Alpha Monocerotids are a variable meteor shower that lasts only about forty-eight hours. The radiant is near Procyon which will be rising due east, so position yourself in a nice lawn chair facing either due north or due south (whichever has the darkest sky). The waning crescent Moon will stay below the horizon until 2am, so it won't make a nuisance of itself.

More information:
https://www.amsmeteors.org/2019/11/alph ... t-in-2019/

[Christopher K.]

The Highland Road Park Observatory will be hosting the "Constellations" session for eight- to twelve-year-olds. The Science Academy session takes place on Saturday 23 November from 10am to 12pm. The cost is five dollars per EBR-Parish kid and six dollars per other-parish kid. During the session, the Cadets will learn about the constellations producing these meteor showers: Canis Minor the Little Dog, Gemini the Twins and Perseus the Hero.

Does your kid want to be a Cadet? The deadline for obtaining minimum registration is 6pm tomorrow! After minimum registration, other parents may arrive as walk-ins.

More information:
http://hrpo.lsu.edu/programs/academy.html