Shower Time

In case you missed the first show of the year, here's a list of 2009 meteor showers from the AMS.

The Quadrantids peaked on January 3rd and if you are in the western US or Canada, weather permitting, you had good viewing opportunities.

The rest of us can settle for this picture from a Tokyo company that captured a Quadrantid meteor blazing across the sky as an aurora provides a brilliant green background. The photo is from a camera located on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska.

2009 has been declared the International Year of Astronomy after all, celebrating the 400th year of the work of Galileo. There will be a special exhibit at The Franklin in Philadelphia, which will include 2 of Galileo's telescopes, instruments and artifacts from the Medici family. Keep up with IYOA2009 happenings at the IYOA site or specifically at the IYOA US node.