Like everything in nature, each of the astronomical events has its own imprint. They are different from each other and open the possibility of enjoying their great wealth. This characteristic extends to meteor showers, which are not all the same and some are more attractive than others. The Alpha Centaurids is activated at the beginning of the year, but it is very little known since it is very small, although no less important than the others.
What are the Alpha Centaurids?
The Alpha Centaurids are a meteor shower that runs annually from January 28 to February 21, with its peak around February 8. Every year the Earth passes through an area in space where it encounters the reminiscences of a stranger. It should be noted that this is a small meteor shower, despite this they are no less important for cosmos scholars who are trying to decipher their origin.
All meteor showers are produced by matrix organisms, which are celestial bodies that left cosmic dust in certain regions of space. When the Earth comes into contact with said dust and an interaction with the Earth occurs, it causes the lights that we see in the sky known as star showers or meteor showers.
The origin bodies of almost all the rains produced throughout the year are known, except for one, the Alpha Centaurids. The only thing we know about this meteor shower is that they seem to emanate from the constellation Centaurus, which is where they get their name.
Average number of stars in the sky
The Alpha Centaurids have a Zenith Hourly Rate (THZ) equivalent to 6. This means that at their peak and with the appropriate meteorological conditions, it is possible to observe only 6 meteors per hour. It is one of the smallest rains that occur in the cosmos, although it is of great mystery because its origin is unknown.
How do meteor showers occur?
We can observe meteor showers, also known as meteor showers, thanks to the fact that the planet crosses paths reminiscent of cosmic dust (meteoroids) left by a comet or other space body such as asteroids. Following its translational movement, the Earth travels through large regions around the Sun. When on its journey it crosses an area with the presence of meteoroids, the encounter of these bodies with the atmosphere produces chemical reactions.
Friction causes atmospheric gases to heat the meteoroid to the point of reaching such high temperatures that it ends up shining in the sky. This light produced by the interaction between the meteoroid and the atmosphere is scientifically called a meteor. Hence the correct name for meteor showers is meteor showers.
As we have to imagine, the Zenith Hourly Rate varies greatly because the amount of galactic dust left by different bodies is not always the same. If there are many more particles then there is a great chance of seeing hundreds of sparkles shine in the sky. On the other hand, when the material is scarce, then very few meteors will be produced, as is the case with the Alpha Centaurids. Despite this, they are still an extremely interesting astronomical phenomenon and worth learning about to better understand the cosmos.