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Metoer Storm! Perseid Meteor Shower


walterego

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Like most regular meteor showers the best time to view is as the Eastern sky is moving forward into the dust trail of the comet, in this case Swift-Tuttle, this year The Americas were best placed to get the expected maxium rate 100-200 per hour expected. So go out at 3am - 4am, the rising sun will affect seeing much later.

I was clouded out this year, again!

On an average night (at any time of night) you should be able to see about one random meteor (sporadic meteors) every ten minutes or so.

Best place to view is away from city lights, on cloudless nights (low or thin cloud reflect city lights and affect seeing). So if you are looking at a local map to find a good spot, you want to be East of any cities, and ideally looking out over rural countryside or the sea.

Bizarrely the best I've seen was on Buddha Hill in South Pattaya about 8 years ago during the Leonid Shower (17th -18th November this year), I was among 200 or so people camped out drinking beer and eating food stall snacks waiting for the display, I had just finished explaining to a newbie watcher what caused the meteors when two low skimming fireballs travelling in unison passed over head, they were low enough to allow us to hear the fizz as they burnt up. A truely amazing experiance (and probably once in a lifetime one).

Name Date of Peak Moon Phase

Quadrantids January 3, morning First quarter

Lyrids night of April 21/22 near new Moon

Eta Aquarids May 5 Sets around 4 a.m.

Perseids August 12, morning/evening Rises around midnight

Orionids October 21, morning Near new Moon

Leonids night of November 17/18, morning New Moon

Geminids night of December 13/14 Near new Moon

Source: Link

PS

"On Nov. 17, 2009, we expect the Leonids to produce upwards of 500 meteors per hour," said Bill Cooke of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. "That's a very strong display."

NASA

Edited by Cuban
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