This year's Perseid meteor shower is already underway, although rates are still quite low, over the next two weeks they will gradually increase,
peaking in the early morning on the 12th August (between about 05:00 and 07:00 UT/GMT) when as many as up to 100 meteors per hour could be visible
according to predictions.
Perseid meteors are only seen when Earth passes through the dust left behind comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle as it orbits around the sun. Earth encounters
these trails every August and as it does so the tiny dust-sized particles which left the comet many decades, and even many centuries ago in some
cases, slam into the atmosphere at a mind boggling 59km/sec creating the dazzling streaks in the sky that we know as Perseid meteors.
Since Perseids appear to radiate away from Perseus, they are named after the constellation by convention. Be aware that other showers are also active
during this time (and indeed throughout the year), so be careful not to count meteors that do not point back to Perseus if you extend their trails
back in your head. Look out for occasional unmistakably slow
Alpha
Capricornids, and the
Kappa Cygnids which are also much slower than any
Perseid meteor you will see.
Getting back to the Perseids though, this years show should be good due to the moon being out of the way for most of the night, so make the most of
this year's good fortune. If you can, and/or the weather forecast is looking bad for the main night, try to watch for them in the nights leading up
to the 12th, as well as the following night after the peak, which can also be very good! Remember, the best rates are usually just before it starts to
get light, so plan to observe for some time if you can, or else set the alarm to wake you!
If you have a video camera or still camera, try to capture some. Fast wide-normal lenses and high ISOs work best. Focus on infinity (the Moon for
example) and aim ~45 degrees away from Perseus. See the links below for further details, and feel free to U2U me if you have any questions.
Enjoy the show, and clear skies!
Related Links :
Article from NASA:
science.nasa.gov...
2008 Perseid Predictions:
feraj.narod.ru...
(scroll down to the table/paragraph above the table)
Perseid shower info, history, and observations:
meteorshowersonline.com...
Basic visual meteor shower observation techniques:
rtpnet.org...
/2qxmkj
Advanced visual meteor shower observation techniques:
www.imo.net...
Photographing meteors:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
General information:
www.space.com...
Organizations and mailing lists:
www.imo.net...
www.amsmeteors.org...
tech.groups.yahoo.com...
[edit on 28-7-2008 by C.H.U.D.]