According to the latest reports coming from Forbes, Earth is the closest to a super sun. Check out the following reports about this below.
Earth is the closest to a super sun
If you thought you could start observing the stars quietly this year, you were mistaken. The Quadrantid meteor shower, one of the year’s lesser-known but prolific displays of “shooting stars,” is the first one to take place.
If you want to go outside and observe some of its fireballs (ultra-bright meteors), this week’s Last Quarter Moon will guarantee dark skies. However, clear skies are not easy to predict, unlike the Earth’s motions, which brought it closest to the sun this week.
Today is a special day for stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts. It is the “Perihelion Day,” which is the point in the Earth’s orbit around the sun where it is closest to the sun for the entire year.
The word “Perihelion” comes from the Greek words “peri” (near) and “helios” (sun). According to timeanddate.com, the Earth will be 91.4 million miles (147,100,632 km) from the sun.
This is because the Earth orbits the sun in a slight ellipse, which makes the sun appear a little larger than usual, much like a “supermoon” does when it’s closest to Earth.
Although it may be challenging to appreciate, try looking at the sun today through solar eclipse glasses that you have ready for the total solar eclipse on April 8. How about that for a “Super Sun” experience?
The Quadrantid meteor shower is not widely known despite producing approximately 120 “shooting stars” per hour at its peak, which is happening tonight.
These meteor showers are caused by 2003 EH1, which is either an asteroid or a “rock comet,” as classified by NASA.
The Quadrantids are also notable for their bright fireball meteors that can be seen anywhere in the night sky. The radiant point of the Quadrantids is situated near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper.
Although there are 88 constellations of stars in the night sky, all of which are officially codified by the International Astronomical Union, why would anyone bother to search for one that no longer exists?
However, this week, it is the Quadrantid meteor shower that is taking place, which is named after the constellation Quadrans Muralis, even though it is no longer recognized as an official constellation.
The Quadrantids are located between the constellations of Bootes and Draco, near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper, according to NASA.
