ilan
08-10-2018, 12:18 PM
Perseids are peaking this weekend!
Bruce McClure in TONIGHT | August 10, 2018
http://en.es-static.us/upl/2018/08/Perseid-meteors-2016-John-Ashley-Montana-sq.jpg
The composite image above – from John Ashley at Glacier National Park in Montana, in 2016 – perfectly captures the feeling of standing outside as dawn is approaching, after a peak night of Perseid meteor-watching. As viewed from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, the Perseids’ radiant point is highest at dawn, and so the meteors rain down from overhead.
When is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in 2018? The best mornings will likely be August 12 and 13. The morning of August 11 is worth trying, too, as the Perseids are known to rise gradually to their peak. The best news is, in 2018, the moon is gone from the night sky! The peak may bring 50 to 60 – or more – meteors per hour, assuming you’ve given yourself optimum conditions for meteor-watching.
Those optimum conditions are simple to attain. Go to a country location, far from city lights. And watch during the hours between late evening (around midnight) and dawn.
Can’t get out of town? Then go to the darkest sky you can find near you (a beach? a park?) as late at night as you can. Situate yourself in the shadow of a tree or building, if there are lights around. Look up, and hope for the best! Who knows … you might catch a shooting star.
The fact is, this weekend is wonderful for meteor-watching. Enjoy it! We won’t have such gloriously moon-free nights for the Perseids again until 2021.
Can you watch the shower in the evening hours? From the Northern Hemisphere, you might see a smattering of Perseid meteors in the evening (assuming you’re watching in a dark sky). Plus, mid-evening is the best time of night to try to catch an earthgrazer, which is an elongated, long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky. Earthgrazers are rare but most memorable if you’re lucky enough to spot one.
What if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere? From the Southern Hemisphere, the first meteors – and possible earthgrazers – won’t be flying until midnight or the wee hours of the morning.
In either the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere, the greatest number of meteors streak the sky in the few hours before dawn.
Bruce McClure in TONIGHT | August 10, 2018
http://en.es-static.us/upl/2018/08/Perseid-meteors-2016-John-Ashley-Montana-sq.jpg
The composite image above – from John Ashley at Glacier National Park in Montana, in 2016 – perfectly captures the feeling of standing outside as dawn is approaching, after a peak night of Perseid meteor-watching. As viewed from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, the Perseids’ radiant point is highest at dawn, and so the meteors rain down from overhead.
When is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in 2018? The best mornings will likely be August 12 and 13. The morning of August 11 is worth trying, too, as the Perseids are known to rise gradually to their peak. The best news is, in 2018, the moon is gone from the night sky! The peak may bring 50 to 60 – or more – meteors per hour, assuming you’ve given yourself optimum conditions for meteor-watching.
Those optimum conditions are simple to attain. Go to a country location, far from city lights. And watch during the hours between late evening (around midnight) and dawn.
Can’t get out of town? Then go to the darkest sky you can find near you (a beach? a park?) as late at night as you can. Situate yourself in the shadow of a tree or building, if there are lights around. Look up, and hope for the best! Who knows … you might catch a shooting star.
The fact is, this weekend is wonderful for meteor-watching. Enjoy it! We won’t have such gloriously moon-free nights for the Perseids again until 2021.
Can you watch the shower in the evening hours? From the Northern Hemisphere, you might see a smattering of Perseid meteors in the evening (assuming you’re watching in a dark sky). Plus, mid-evening is the best time of night to try to catch an earthgrazer, which is an elongated, long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky. Earthgrazers are rare but most memorable if you’re lucky enough to spot one.
What if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere? From the Southern Hemisphere, the first meteors – and possible earthgrazers – won’t be flying until midnight or the wee hours of the morning.
In either the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere, the greatest number of meteors streak the sky in the few hours before dawn.