Rare Meteor Shower May Grace Skies This Week
Tuesday's sky show may be on par with the best annual meteor showers.
If astronomers' predictions hold true, the Gamma Delphinids may undergo a rare outburst that could even equal the famed August Perseids—with rates of meteors reaching as high as one or two shooting stars per minute. (Related: "Perseids Quiz: Are You a Meteor Shower Mastermind?")
The Gamma Dephinids were first discovered on the evening of June 10, 1930, when two astronomers from Baltimore, Maryland, noticed that despite the glare of a full moon, a fast and furious flurry of shooting stars was radiating out from a previously unrecorded spot in the sky. Most of the meteors were reported to be as bright as the brightest stars in the sky, making them quite spectacular. (Related: "Perseid Pictures: Meteor Shower Dazzles
