08 November,2010 06:16 AM IST | | Soma Dev
It was on this day 154 years ago that astronomer Edmond Halley was born, after whom the Halley's Comet is named. Have your own Halley-moment by catching the Leonids Meteor shower, visible to the naked eye on the 16 and 18 of this month
Edmond Halley's most noted hypothesis was that comets were periodic visitors. A student of Oxford at the age of 16, Halley claimed that the three historic comet sightings (in 1531, 1607 and 1682) were of the same comet, and that the comet would re-appear after 76 years.
A view of the night sky over Gzhel region, roughly 80 km east of Moscow,
shows the star's path created by the earth rotation in early August 2005.
pic/ afp
His hypothesis was proven, when the same comet appeared in 1758, 16 years after his death, and was named Halley's Comet in his honour.
While you might not catch Halley's Comet anytime soon -- the next sighting is expected only in 2061 -- you can catch the super fast annual Leonids meteor shower. The comet travels in the opposite direction as the earth and enters the earth's atmosphere at 1,60,000 mph. "It can be observed by the naked eye from November 16 to 18," says Jatin Rathod, lecturer at Nehru Planetarium.
"Days closest to the new moon are best to observe it. Several showers can be spotted every hour if you look towards the east after midnight," he explains.
Eye in the sky
Rathod says that amateur findings are welcomed by the International Meteor Organisation (IMO). All you need to do is state the direction of the meteor, the colour, brightness and the time of the sighting and email them.
The months from November to April are the best for stargazing, as skies are clearest around this time. Ideal locations include Vangani, Matheran and Mahuli in Asangaon, as they lie on the outskirts of the city and are relatively pollution-free.
Another interesting thing to spot, Rathod adds, are Messier objects, which are non-comet astronomical objects. They were first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771 as he grew increasingly frustrated with the objects that clouded his vision of comets.
"These objects are fainter, as they are far off and require a 3 inch telescope or binoculars to see them. You can also sight galaxies and nebulae (cloud of dust and gases, including hydrogen and helium). Watch out for the Virgo cluster that will be visible to the naked eye. They are smudgy, like cotton balls, unlike stars," explains Rathod.
But don't be disheartened if you are unable to spot it. "I have been looking for certain comets for years, but have been unable to spot them. So, there's no need to despair," concludes Rathod.
