Shooting stars arriving in the next few days, where and when to see them

The sky is preparing to offer a show that is not unique, but always fascinating.
Shooting stars are arriving in the next few days.
These celestial phenomena, also known as “meteor showers,” provide a free spectacle for those who love space.
While waiting for spring, the rain of shooting stars will light up the skies on the night between March 5th and 6th.
The group of shooting stars involved are called pi-Virginides.
This year their observation will be particularly favorable, making the show more exciting.
The pi-Virginids, also known as Virginids, will reach the peak of their activity during the night of March 5th to 6th.
read also The 10 books on space and astronomy to absolutely read What are the pi-Virginides and when will they be visible? The pi-Virginids, or simply Virginids, are a meteor shower associated with comet C/1490 Y1, also known as comet Ikeya-Zhang.
The pi-Virginid meteor event is known to produce shooting stars that are not very bright, but with visibility that varies from year to year.
The peak of activity of this meteor shower occurs in the first days of March.
During this period, particles of dust and debris left by the comet enter the Earth's atmosphere, burning due to friction with the air and creating the characteristic light trails in the night sky.
The radiant, the apparent point from which the meteors appear to originate, will be visible between the stars Spica and Regulus.
According to the Union of Italian Amateur Astronomers (UAI), this year we will have a particularly favorable opportunity to observe the meteor shower.
The radiant will in fact be observable throughout the night, culminating at almost 50 degrees altitude around 1.30am on March 6th.
The night between March 5th and 6th will be particularly favorable for observation, with the Moon in its "New" phase just 5 nights later (i.e.
March 10th).
This means that the moonlight will not obscure the spectacle of shooting stars, ensuring optimal conditions to fully appreciate this celestial phenomenon.
read also Total solar eclipse in 2024: when and how to see it Tips for seeing shooting stars: when and where The forecasts indicate that the peak of shooting stars will occur in the next few nights, between March 5 and 6.
Enthusiasts will have the opportunity to observe this spectacle during the darkest hours of the night.
It is therefore advisable to plan your observation away from city lights.
The choice of location is in fact crucial for an optimal view of the shooting stars.
Places with low artificial lighting and open skies offer the best conditions.
Hills, mountains or rural areas, away from light pollution, are prime locations for observation.
In conclusion, we summarize the advice for best observing the passage of the pi-Virginides: stay away from light: look for a place away from city lights to avoid light pollution and improve the visibility of the stars; prepare with warm clothes and blankets; look at the horizon towards a specific direction, in this case near the star Spica, the brightest in the entire constellation of Virgo; observe calmly and with the naked eye.
It is not necessary to have observation instruments, which could make it difficult to identify the light trails.
However, it is possible to photograph shooting stars using a camera that allows you to manually control settings, such as shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity.
The aperture should have a wide aperture (f/2.8 or smaller) to capture more light, while shutter speeds are slow (usually 15 to 30 seconds).
Pay attention to the ISO instead, since if it is too high it risks introducing noise into the image.
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