Fireballs – Astronomy Now

Giant ‘cannonballs’ seen shooting from binary-star system

7 October 2016 Astronomy Now

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has detected superhot blobs of gas, each twice as massive as the planet Mars, being ejected near a dying red giant star in the V Hydrae binary system. The plasma balls are zooming so fast through space it would take only 30 minutes for them to travel from Earth to the Moon.

Enjoy the Lyrid meteor shower

21 April 2015 Astronomy Now

With a young crescent Moon setting around midnight for the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, prospects are good for this annual display that can produce medium-speed fireballs.

Taurid meteors put on celestial fireworks show this month

3 November 2014 Mark Armstrong

The Taurids meteor shower is active throughout November with a double radiant and a double peak. Observers can usually expect around 10 meteors per hour from dark sky locations.