Posted on 08/08/2007 11:56:13 AM PDT by Squidpup
August is the best month overall to view meteors from the Northern Hemisphere, according to Robert Lunsford, operations manager of the American Meteor Society. And conditions are ideal this year because the Perseid meteor shower peaks on the new-Moon night of Sunday–Monday, August 12–13.
The Perseids are one of the two strongest and most reliable annual meteor showers. (The other is December's Geminids.) And while some showers produce brief bursts lasting just a few hours, the Perseids have a broad peak. So don't despair if clouds are forecast for Sunday night — or if work obligations prevent you from staying up until dawn on Monday. Even now, a week before the peak, you can see up to a dozen Perseids per hour if conditions are perfect. That's stronger than some meteor showers at their best!
The meteor rate increases to roughly 30 per hour in the predawn hours on Saturday, 45 per hour on Sunday morning, and 80 per hour before the sky starts to get light on Monday morning. That's for a single observer at a dark-sky site in the north temperate latitudes.
Perseid meteors are visible in every part of the sky. But wherever you see them, they appear to be moving away from the shower's radiant point near the Perseus/Cassiopeia border. This is a perspective effect, happening for the same reason that snowflakes appear to stream away from the center of the road when you're driving through a snowstorm.
On any given night, activity starts slowly in the evening but picks up by 11 p.m., when the radiant gets reasonably high in the sky. The meteor rate increases steadily through the night as the radiant rises higher, peaking just before the sky starts to get light, roughly 1½ to 2 hours before sunrise.
For the most pleasant viewing experience, find a spot far from any city lights. Perseids tend to be relatively bright as meteors go, but you'll still see more the darker your skies are. Bring a reclining chair so that you can view high in the sky in comfort; there's no point in filling half your field of view with trees. Don't forget warm, mosquito-proof clothes or, better, a sleeping bag. No matter how hot the days are, it can get surprisingly chilly under a clear sky late at night, especially whan you're inactive. And for many people, the most important accessory is bug spray for the parts of you that remain exposed!
It doesn't really matter where in the sky you watch; meteors can appear anywhere. Just watch where it's darkest, usually straight up. It's probably best not to stare directly at the radiant, because meteors there leave short trails.
Keep track of the direction each meteor is moving. Though most will be Perseids, you'll probably see plenty of Delta Aquarids moving more or less in the opposite direction. And this time of year is also good for sporadic meteors not associated with any recognized shower.
And remember, with Global Warming they should glow really BRIGHT! :)
And they glow in the dark too.
Must be so. Saw a star a week ago. Maybe three tonight unless it clouds up. Might see a meteor if it happens between 1:30 and 2:30 AM.
ping for later
20 yrs ago we had a great show since then about 3yrs ago we stopped watching due to the duds in the past decade.
Somebody ping me if they get hot and come alive again.
Bug spray comes in handy too.
Nah, just a helicopter.
It was a real star. I know the stars. I actually know the name of this one. It’s big, it’s bright, it’s blue. It’s headed this way.
Coming Soon!
L
bump
If it’s not cloudy, like usual. :(
That book creeped me out. Every time I hear about a meteor shower I think of that book.
Look quick, all that CO2 up there will put them out fast.
A friend of mine had a new puppy that got her up in the middle of the night to go out, and the show was on. Not only was it the meteor shower, there was a beautiful aurora, too. And I missed it. She told me the next morning.
I’d PAY to have someone wake me up for that. sheesh.
http://www.popastro.com/sections/meteor/meteor-aug2007.htm
http://www.popastro.com/sections/meteor/showers-2007.htm
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