Last month, I reported that the Perseid meteor shower would be visible in our skies under very favorable conditions. The Moon was in a new phase and there would be little natural light to obscure the smaller meteors. Experts predicted up to 100 meteors an hour.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Flossie was on the way, stirring up clouds in our vicinity, and, in addition, this shower didn't seem to measure up to those predictions, at least in Hawai'i, according to my observations and reports from some other viewers. The point is: meteor showers are difficult to predict.

This leads me to the next meteor shower "prediction" — one that has been getting a lot of attention in the astronomy community. Called the Aurigids, it is normally classified as a minor meteor shower and is rarely noticed. This year, however, it is the subject of some interest. One scientist has announced that this year the Aurigids will have a short outburst of activity that may produce perhaps up to 200 meteors an hour at its peak.

The Aurigids is a rare meteor shower, seen only three times in recent history primarily because they are sporadic and only appear for a relatively short time. The meteors are produced by a "long-period" type of comet named Comet Kiess, which was most recently seen in 1911. Prior to this date the last time Comet Kiess came through the inner solar system was in 82 B.C. This September's Aurigids will be our encounter with this older dusty trail laid down by the comet during the reign of Julius Caesar.

Long-period comets originate in an area far beyond the planets of our solar system known as the Oort Cloud, named after Dutch astronomer Jan Oort, who first proposed the theory of its existence in the 1950s. Loosely bound by the gravity of our sun, this spherical cloud of billions of icy, rocky bodies contains the pristine material from the beginnings of our solar system 5 billion years ago. Occasionally, other bodies encountering this cloud (a passing star, for instance) can disrupt some of the comets, sending them in orbits either toward or away from our area. So Comet Kiess is one of those long-distance visitors to our neighborhood; of course it will be generations before we see it again.

As far as seeing the Aurigids, here are the details: the peak of the meteor shower is expected to just be visible between 1:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on Saturday and a gibbous moon will be in the eastern sky. The center, or radiant of the shower is the constellation Auriga the Charioteer, in the east after midnight just above the horizon under the moon.

Auriga is north of the more "famous" constellations of Taurus and Orion and contains the sixth brightest star in the sky, Capella. Don't be discouraged by the moon from going out to look for the Aurigids, because these meteors are characterized as big, fast meteors so it might just be the great show we're hoping for this summer!

LAST SCIENCE CAFE

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has more than 30 offices and 700 employees in Hawai'i and throughout the Pacific, managing resources and agencies such as the National Weather Service, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The nation's oldest science and environmental agency celebrates 200 years of service this year and we are fortunate to have the director of NOAA's Pacific Services Center, Bill Thomas, present the final lecture for this series at our Science Cafe at the Bishop Museum on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. Call 847-8203 for reservations.

THE PLANETS

Earth: Our Equinox occurs on Sept. 22, at 11:51 p.m. HST. This is the moment where the sun moves from the northern half of the world to the southern half, passing over the Earth's equator and marking the end of summer and the start of fall in our hemisphere.

Mercury: By the end of the second week of September, Mercury will be low in the west right at sunset. On the 12th and 13th, you can try to spot the little planet next to a very young crescent moon, but you probably need a clear view of the western horizon. On Sept. 21st Mercury is very close to the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, Spica.

Venus: Early risers can see Venus rise in the east before dawn all month, at 4:45 a.m. at the start of September and by 3:30 a.m. at the end. Venus is so bright that it is usually the most frequent subject for phone calls here at the planetarium. Two main reasons Venus shines so brilliantly are because of its proximity to us (the closest planet), and the fact it is covered by a thick blanket of clouds, which acts as a reflective surface for sunlight.

Mars: The Red Planet finally makes an appearance in the sky before midnight by the 20th of the month, joining Jupiter and Mercury as "evening" planets (although both would have set by the time Mars rises). Mars will continue to get brighter and larger as we catch up to it in its orbit over the next few months. Look for Mars in the eastern sky after the 20th above the raised arm of Orion.

Jupiter: Jupiter is in the western sky at sunset and sets by midnight at the start of September. By the end of the month, the second-brightest planet will set by 10:30 p.m. Jupiter is north, or just above the bright star Antares, the heart of the constellation Scorpius.

Saturn: By the end of the first week of September you might be able to see Saturn just before sunrise in the east. It will get easier throughout the month.

MOON PHASES

Third Quarter: Sept. 3

New Moon: Sept. 11

First Quarter: Sept. 19

Full Moon: Sept. 26