Have you looked up at the sky recently? You may have seen the total solar eclipse from August, or that really bright supermoon from December. However, there were two of the best meteor showers in 2017 that you might have missed. Meteor showers come from the gritty debris left in space. Starting in one spot, they fly across the dark night sky. They get their names from the constellation where the meteor, or shooting star, comes from. In the year 2017, there were 9 major meteor showers. The Quadrantids meteor shower in early January and the Geminids meteor shower in mid-December were the two best meteor showers of the year. Additionally, the total solar eclipse was the best astronomical event of 2017.

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The Quadrantids appeared through January 3rd and 4th.

It produced about 60-100 meteors per hour, which was

a great way to start off 2017. The Quadrantids come

from an extinct comet, and was best seen in the far

west of North America. The reason it was so good

this year was because this meteor shower is usually

so faint, but thistime around, the moon wasn’t

illuminated all the way, so it waseasier to see.

This meteor shower is active during the cold months,

and only lasts a few hours; which is why it’s not as popular as most showers. However, it was one of the best this year. With all those meteors shooting through the night sky, it gives off its own New Years firework show.

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Another popular event, which occured in August, was the total solar eclipse. This was the best astronomical event of 2017, because it was the first time in a long time the whole US could see this eclipse. It even left some parts of the United States in the dark while they were in the path of totality. The last total eclipse was seen in 1979, so this was definitely a memorable event. During this eclipse, the moon completely blocked the sun, revealing the sun's outer atmosphere called the corona, which is rare for viewers to see. This is why we needed glasses to view it safely. 

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The Geminids were a great way to end the year of 2017, with a spectacular lights show, which appeared the week of December 13th. This meteor shower is one of the best every year because most meteor showers come from debris left from a comet. However, this shower came from an asteroid space rock, and every year the Geminids meteor shower gets better and better. This year it produced around 60-120 multi-colored meteors per hour, and the moon was also a crescent moon, making it easier to see this shower, compared to the years before. This meteor shower was visible all around the world.

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Whether you are completely obsessed with all things space related, or you are just beginning to appreciate the beauty of the sky, you have a lot to look forward to in the years to come. In 2017, we had many great astronomical events, and there is something for everyone, young and old, to appreciate and ponder.