Tau Herculids meteor shower: Will we witness 1000 meteors per hour today?

The year 2022 seems to be a year of celestial events. In May, the world experienced the planetary conjunction as well as the Total Lunar Eclipse. But it looks like before the month ends, there’s another stargazing event that could happen. On the night of May 30 or May 31, as the earth crosses the debris of icy comment, we might witness a meteor storm. 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 is the name of the icy comet passing through which the earth could witness such an event.

Astronomers have started studying the forthcoming incident and are giving their assumptions regarding the same. Some say that the meteor storm produced due to debris can range from 900 to 1000 meteors per hour. While other astrologers believe the number to be higher or lower, many are not sure.

Some astrologers have also said that if the meteor storm comes, the storm's centre could be the debris of icy particles that came out from the comets of 1892, 1897 and 1995.

What is Tau Herculids?
The broken pieces of icy particles, separated from its parent comet- 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, are collectively called Tau Herculids.
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, abbreviated as SW3, was founded in 1930.
It orbits the sun every 5.4 years.
Although not very bright or evident, the comment can sometimes be seen in August or July.

How was the comment discovered?
The comet was discovered when two scientists, Arnold Schwassmann and Arno Arthur, searched for minor planets and asteroids photographically. However, the comet was never seen again before the year 1979, as it had minimum light and brightness. It was seen again in the year 1995, when its brightness was on a magnitude of seven, even through naked eyes. After that, the comet started to split. There have been at least 68 pieces of the comet, and it is still breaking down.

Can we expect a meteor storm?
As per the reports of NASA, if the broken pieces of the comment get ejected at a speed which is more than twice its average speed when the earth passes through the debris trails of the comet, on the night of May 30 and in the dusk of May 31, then only the meteor storm can happen.

Where can the meteor shower occur?
The meteor shower could be witnessed in some parts of North America. The most significant time of the show on the East Coast is 1 am, and on the West Coast is 10 pm. The best way to see it is under a clear and dark sky.

Will the meteor storm be witnessed in India?
Sadly, the meteor storm, if seen, will not be visible in India.