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A meteor was sighted from all over the Island around 7:48 pm on Friday, July 31.
The meteor drew attention for its abrupt increase in brilliance, which was caused when it had its greatest friction with the atmosphere, explained the Caribbean Astronomical Society (SAC).
The educational entity managed to capture images of the event and explained it was one of many fragments left in the path of Comet 169P / NEAT, whose residues cause a slight meteor shower known as the “Alpha Capricornis” on these nights.
Comet 169P / NEAT passed something close to the Sun in April 2018, and it will do so again in July 2022. The SAC explained that when Earth passes through the area where the comet previously passed, our planet encounters particles from the celestial visitor , which enter our atmosphere causing the sighting of some meteors, mainly in late July.
The meteor sighted from the Island was seen quite high in the sky, facing East, but with a trajectory from East-Southeast to Northwest, and passing something close to where we see the star Vega.
“An analysis of various shots allowed us to identify that it was indeed from the constellation Capricorn, confirming that it was one of the Alpha Capricornis,” the organization said.
The SAC noted that a few of these meteors could be visible on these nights, while another meteor shower, the Perseids, is anticipated to occur between August 10-14.
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