![Meteor](/img/Sections/Meteor/MeteorSectIntroImg.jpg)
Meteor Calendar
2024-08-12 UT
Peak of the Perseid meteor shower
2024-10-21 UT
Orionid meteor shower
2024-11-16 UT
Leonid meteor shower
2024-12-13 UT
Geminid meteor shower
Meteor Blog
Here we present the list of meteor showers expected to be active this upcoming week. Most of these showers are very weak, only producing a few meteors each night. Still, many thousands of years ago, they may have been part of a strong shower that graced the skies of our planet. Their orbit may have shifted away from the Earth or perhaps the parent comet or asteroid lost all of its interplanetary dust, depriving it of producing meteoroids that encounter the Earth. These weak showers are just strong enough to be recognized by their similar orbits and appearance during the same time each year. If you are like me, I would rather categorize each meteor I see rather than call it a random meteor. Since we know the characteristics of these weak showers, we can be on the lookout for any of their members. Still, most of the activity we see cannot be categorized as they have become dispersed through the years. No meteor is a true sporadic, but reluctantly, we must categorize any meteor not from a recognized shower as random. There are still discoveries of new showers that just now begin to encounter the Earth''s orbit. They may be the beginning of an annual shower or just a clump of inter planetary dust that encounters the Earth, not to return for many years. Video cameras make most of the discoveries these days, but they have limits that cannot match the human eye. This is why we encourage observers to monitor these showers and to expand our knowledge of them.
In these weekly meteor activity outlooks, if viewing conditions are favorable, a detailed list of active radiants is provided. For those not familiar with celestial coordinates, charts are provided for the evening skies, near midnight, and morning skies. While some radiants may appear close to each other on the charts, once under the night sky you will be able to see that they are spaced out and easy to discern from one another. These charts are exact for latitude 40 north, but are usable for most of the northern hemisphere. There are also charts available for the southern hemisphere that are available upon request.
Meteor observing is an enjoyable pastime that can be shared in groups. No instruments are necessary as your eyes are a wonderful meteor detector. Like fireworks displays, most folks just enjoy the show. But inspired observers can do real science by counting the number of meteors you see and categorizing them. It takes some practice, but in no time at all will you be able to tell a Perseid meteor from an alpha Capricornid and give its magnitude (brightness) and other parameters that interest you. If you are interested in joining us in this endeavor, contact the Meteors Section Coordinator.
![](http://amsmeteors.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/perseids-featured.jpg)
Comet Dust
Each July and August the Earth encounters debris left behind from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. This comet has an orbit of 133 years and last entered the inner solar system in 1992. Even though the comet now lies in the outer portions of the solar system, far away from Earth, we still encounter debris that has been left behind during the many trips this comet has made through the solar system. This meteor shower is perhaps the most popular as it is active during the summer months in the northern hemisphere. There are stronger meteor showers but they appear during the colder time of year in the northern hemisphere when conditions are less inviting. The strength of each Perseid display varies year to year, mainly due to lunar conditions. If a bright moon is above the horizon during the night of maximum activity, then the display will be reduced. Most of the Perseid meteors are faint and bright moonlight will make it difficult to view. Such was the case in 2022 when a bright full moon spoiled the display. In 2024, a half-illuminated moon will have set by midnight, allowing dark skies to prevail the remainder of the night. This will make evening viewing difficult as faint meteors may be obscured by moonlight. After moonset, only local light pollution and clouds will reduce the number of meteors you will see.August 11th / 12th
The Perseid maximum is expected to occur between the hours 13-16 Universal Time on August 12th. To view the Perseids at their best, you need to know when to watch. During the evening hours the radiant, the area of the sky where Perseid meteors shoot from, is located low in the northern sky. This is the worst time to try and view the shower for sheer numbers as most of the activity will occur beyond your line of sight, being blocked by the horizon. The few that do come your way this time of night are special. The reason is that they just skim the upper regions of the atmosphere and will last much longer than Perseids seen during the morning hours. Since they last longer they also will travel a much longer distance across the sky. Most of these "earthgrazing" Perseids will be seen low in the east or west, traveling north to south. Occasionally one will pass overhead and will be unforgettable as you watch it shoot across the sky for several seconds. While these meteors are few, they are certainly worth the effort to try and catch. This year though there will be a half-illuminated moon in the sky during the evening hours. This will further reduce the number of meteors seen. As the Earth rotates and the time approaches local midnight, the Perseid radiant has risen higher into the northeastern sky. The meteors are now shorter and last only a few tenths of a second. You still only see about half of the actual activity as the remainder still occur beyond your line of sight below the horizon. As the morning progresses, the activity will increase as the radiant climbs higher into the sky. Theoretically, the best time to watch the Perseids is just before the break of dawn when the radiant lies highest in a dark sky. This is usually around 04:00 local daylight saving time. Experienced observers often say the hour between 03:00 and 04:00 is usually the best, not 04:00 to 05:00. Perhaps this is due to fatigue as observers have watched for several hours by then and may have trouble staying alert.![](https://www.amsmeteors.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/switf-tuttle.jpg)
![](http://www.amsmeteors.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Perseids.jpg)