Watch a Meteor Shower

Meteors are also known as "shooting stars" and they originate when Earth passes near a comet's orbit and the debris particles that hit Earth's atmosphere ignite. When many meteors appear to originate from the same point, this is called a meteor shower.[1] Meteor showers can be spectacular to watch, and luckily for any amateur or professional astronomer, they are predictable. All you will need to do is keep an eye on the dates, hope for the right conditions, and take along the appropriate gear for viewing.

Steps

Choosing the Best Time and Place to See a Meteor Shower

Month Shower Peak Date Radiant
January Quarantids Jan 4 Boötes
April Lyrids Apr 22 Lyra
May Eta Aquarids May 5 Aquarius
July Delta Aquarids July 29 Aquarius
August Perseids Aug 12 Perseus
October Draconids Oct 7 Draco
October Orionids Oct 21 Orion
November Taurids Nov 4 Taurus
November Leonids Nov 17 Leo
December Geminids Dec 13 Gemini
  1. Research when and where meteor showers will be occurring. Both the time and the location of meteor showers are predictable. Look online for a meteor calendar to find out what meteor showers will be happening in your area in the near future.[2]
    • A meteor shower always appears from the same point in the sky, which is known as the "radiant". The meteor shower usually gets its name from the constellation that contains that radiant.
    • Meteor showers happen year-round, with the month of November being the most active time. You can see a meteor in the night sky at any time, but if you want the best chance of seeing one (or many) plan your outing around a meteor calendar.
    • The table above outlines the major meteor showers in the northern hemisphere region. Peak dates change slightly from year to year.
  2. Check the moon phase. Before you set off to view the next meteor shower that will be happening near you, check a lunar calendar to figure out what phase the moon will be in on that night. If the moon is too bright, you may not be able to see any meteors.[3]
    • Avoid attempting to view meteors during the moon's full or gibbous phases.
    • The best time for viewing is when the moon is between new and first quarter, as this is when it casts the least amount of light and sets before midnight.
  3. Confirm that the weather will be clear. In addition to checking the lunar calendar, you will need to check the weather forecast for the evening that you plan to view a meteor shower. Poor weather can easily put a damper on your meteor-viewing experience.[3]
    • The best conditions for watching meteor showers are dry and clear. If it is very cloudy, you may not be able to see any meteors.
    • If it is raining or snowing, you will not only have a low chance of seeing any meteors, but you will also be extremely uncomfortable sitting outside.
  4. Plan to stay up late or get up early. If the moon phase and weather conditions are both favorable for viewing a meteor shower, you will need to know exactly when to plan your meteor-viewing outing. Meteor shower typically peak between midnight and dawn, so you will have to plan on being up during the wee hours of the night.[1]
    • Take a long nap during the day if you plan to stay outside watching for more than an hour or so.
    • Set an alarm if you plan to sleep. You don't want to miss out on the opportunity to view a meteor shower because you overslept.
  5. Find a wide-open spot. You need an unobstructed view of the sky to properly view a meteor shower. Do your best to find a spot with no buildings or trees.[4]
    • Parks make excellent viewing locations as long as there aren't too many trees.
    • Try scouting out locations a few days prior to the meteor shower. This will help ensure that you have a prime viewing location.
  6. Make sure your viewing location is as dark as possible. Light from buildings, cars, and streetlights can make it much more difficult to see meteors. Get as far away from all sources of artificial light as you can for the best viewing experience.[1]
    • If you live in the city, you may have to travel farther to find a suitable viewing location. The more regular stars you can see in the night sky in a given location, the better that spot will be for viewing meteors.

Enjoying the Experience

  1. Consider your comfort. If you want to see a meteor shower, you will be sitting outside for a good amount of time, so it's important to keep your basic comfort in mind. Watching the meteor shower will be much more enjoyable if you are well-prepared and have everything you need.
    • It can get quite cold outside depending on the time of year and where you're located, so don't neglect to dress warmly. It's also a good idea to take blankets and warm drinks with you for cold-weather viewing.[3]
    • No matter what time of year you plan on watching the meteor shower during, consider bringing a reclining chair. This will be much more comfortable than sitting with your neck craned towards the sky.[4]
    • You may also want to bring some snacks and have a late-night picnic while you're star gazing.
  2. Bring the right viewing equipment. Most meteor showers can be seen easily with the naked eye, so you really don't need to worry about having fancy equipment. You can bring binoculars and telescopes if you like, but be aware that these will limit the scope of your view. This means you may be less likely to see meteors if you use them, although you'll definitely get a closer look if you're lucky enough to spot one.[1]
    • It is a good idea to bring a red-tinted flashlight, as this will help you see where you are going without disrupting your natural night vision.[4]
  3. Know where to look. When looking for the showers, always look toward the radiant. A constellation chart can help you identify where the radiant should be for each meteor shower. Remember that the shower is typically named after the radiant constellation.[1]
    • Relax your eyes instead of staring intently at the constellation. This will help you see a larger area, so you will be more likely to notice meteors in your peripheral vision.
  4. Consider recording what you see. Many astronomers enjoy recording what they see while watching a meteor shower. You can do this in one of several ways, depending on your own personal preferences.[4]
    • You may want to simply tally the number of meteors you see using a pen and paper. You can count shower meteors (those that originate from the radiant, or the constellation after which the meteor shower was named) and non-shower meteors (those that originate in other locations) separately. If you plan on writing this down, you will definitely need to use a red-tinted flashlight to help you see.
    • If you don't want to have to worry about writing anything down while you're star gazing, take a recording device with you and simply dictate what you see. You can write it all down later if you wish.
    • If you have a digital camera with a good lens, you can use it to photograph meteors, although it's a good idea to read up on astro-photography first.



Tips

  • If you have children, consider taking them with you to experience stargazing. It is good to introduce them early to the wonders of the night sky.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://starryskies.com/The_sky/events/meteors/watch.html
  2. ↑ http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/earthskys-meteor-shower-guide
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch/meteor.php
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/the-basics-of-meteor-observing/

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