Alpha Centaurids
Encyclopedia
The Alpha Centaurids are a meteor shower
in the constellation Centaurus
, peaking in early February each year. The average magnitude is around 2.5, with a peak of about three meteors an hour.
They have been observed since 1969, with a single possible recorded observation in 1938. There was a report of a viewing in 1988, but it was not real.
Meteor shower
A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. Most meteors are smaller...
in the constellation Centaurus
Centaurus
Centaurus is a bright constellation in the southern sky. One of the largest constellations, Centaurus was included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
, peaking in early February each year. The average magnitude is around 2.5, with a peak of about three meteors an hour.
They have been observed since 1969, with a single possible recorded observation in 1938. There was a report of a viewing in 1988, but it was not real.