Perseid meteor shower 2008
Perseid Meteor Shower 2008
Once every year, the Perseid meteor shower returns. They are often very fast and bright, and can sometimes leave fiery trails in the sky.
The Perseids are called so because of their apparent origin, called the radiant, in Perseus. A good time to start viewing them would be Monday night (8-11-08) into Tuesday morning (8-12-08). Look to the North and Northeast to see the most meteors.This is the best time to view meteor showers, as the Earth is rotating into the shower in the predawn hours. This will increase the meteor rate considerably. With good, dark skies (after the moon sets), expect up to 100 meteors per hour. Of course, light pollution and moonlight may decrease your observed meteor count.
So to sum it all up, heres a timeline:
August 8, 2008 - Perseids start.
August 11, 2008 10 PM - Good time to start viewing.
August 12, 2008 2 AM - Moon sets, viewing improves.
August 12, 2008 7:30 AM - Actual peak.
August 14, 2008 - Perseids taper off.
Sources: visualastronomy,space
Once every year, the Perseid meteor shower returns. They are often very fast and bright, and can sometimes leave fiery trails in the sky.
The Perseids are called so because of their apparent origin, called the radiant, in Perseus. A good time to start viewing them would be Monday night (8-11-08) into Tuesday morning (8-12-08). Look to the North and Northeast to see the most meteors.This is the best time to view meteor showers, as the Earth is rotating into the shower in the predawn hours. This will increase the meteor rate considerably. With good, dark skies (after the moon sets), expect up to 100 meteors per hour. Of course, light pollution and moonlight may decrease your observed meteor count.
So to sum it all up, heres a timeline:
August 8, 2008 - Perseids start.
August 11, 2008 10 PM - Good time to start viewing.
August 12, 2008 2 AM - Moon sets, viewing improves.
August 12, 2008 7:30 AM - Actual peak.
August 14, 2008 - Perseids taper off.
Sources: visualastronomy,space
posted by Melvin the Meow at
10:29 AM
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