Hoping For Clear Skies: Perseid Meteors Tonight
by Logical Lizard on Aug. 11, 2009, under Astronomy & Space Program, TechnologyTonight is perhaps the biggest night of the year for astronomy fans, stargazers, and meteorite men, as the annual Perseids meteor shower is expected to peak sometime between now and dawn. A few astronomers have predicted better than average numbers of shooting stars this year, so we are hoping for clear skies.
It started off rather grey and overcast this morning, which reminded me of London though London was never so warm under its blanket of clouds. But the sky is clearing up and there is still a good chance of a spectacle tonight, so don’t give up yet.
Waiting and hoping for clear skies tonight
The greatest number of shooting stars are expected to be between midnight and 4 am, so the dedicated sky watcher will want to stay up late, or get up very early. However, the darkest skies will be before 10:40 pm, when the Moon rises. Any dark area with good visibility will work; the darker the skies, the better your chances of seeing faint meteors, so don’t forget to turn off the kitchen light. For more information, please see last week’s article about the 2009 Perseid meteor shower.
For detailed viewing tips, please see astronomer Michael Terenzoni’s excellent Skywatcher’s Guide. And that reminds me: last week I spent a most enjoyable day at the Flandrau Planetarium, where I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael, the Astronomy Coordinator; Sven Bailey, Curatorial Specialist of the UA Mineral Museum; and the very brilliant Alexis Faust, Executive Director of the Flandrau. Look for a series of articles from me about the future of the Flandrau and the Mineral Museum, along with some intriguing ideas about what might be in store for the next generation of science education, courtesy of Ms. Faust.
Now please go outside and check the skies.
