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Meteor Activity Outlook for February 18-24, 2012
During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Tuesday February 21st. At that time the moon will be located near the sun and will not be visible at night. This will be the best time this month to… Read More >
Meteor Activity Outlook for February 11-17
During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Tuesday February 14th. At that time the moon will be located ninety degrees west of the sun and will rise near 0100 local standard time (LST) for observers located… Read More >
Update on TX 2012-02-01 Fireball

We just got this email from Bill Cooke, the directory of the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office. Great work Bill! We have spent the last few days analyzing the Sandia camera videos kindly provided by James Beauchamp and Kevin Palivec (also… Read More >
Chesapeake Fireball on February 3rd, 2012

Over 54 fireball witness reports have been logged with the AMS regarding a large fireball seen from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware & Virginia on Friday night at 10:20 PM. From Washington VA It was very intensely bright and large and appeared to be… Read More >
During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Tuesday February 7th. At that time the moon will be located opposite the sun in the sky and will remain above the horizon all night long. This weekend the waxing… Read More >

The American Meteor Society has received over 125 witness reports about a large fireball spotted over central texas. Click the map below for an interactive witness map for this event. After the map loads, click the icons for the people to see… Read More >
Special Thanks to the AAVSO!
The American Meteor Society is pleased to accept a commemorative plaque celebrating our centennial from the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) . Special thanks from the AMS to AAVSO director Arne Henden and all AAVSO members. Here is a… Read More >
February offers the meteor observer in the northern hemisphere a couple of weak showers plus falling sporadic rates. This may not seem too exiting but you never know when surprises are in store. An errant earthgrazer from the Centaurid complex… Read More >
Meteor Activity Outlook for January 21-27, 2012
During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Monday January 23rd. At this time the moon will be located near the sun and will not be visible at night. This will be the best time of the month… Read More >
2012 Meteor Shower List
The 2012 Meteor Shower List is presented in four separate parts. The showers are broken down by intensity with major, minor, variable, and weak showers being separated into their own groups. The general public and news agencies are encouraged to… Read More >
During this period the moon reaches it full phase on Monday January 9th. At this time the moon will be located opposite the sun and will be above the horizon the entire night. This is the worst time to try… Read More >
SW USA Fireball December 31st, 2011
The American Meteor Society has so far received approximately 50 reports of a bright fireball over much of the southwestern states of the USA, from Colorado to California. Most of the reports have come from Arizona and New Mexico. This… Read More >
January is best known for the Quadrantids, which have the potential of being the best shower of the year. Unfortunately this shower is short lived and occurs during some of the worst weather in the northern hemisphere. Due to the… Read More >

The next major shower will be the Quadrantids, which are predicted to peak near 07:30 Universal Time on January 4, 2012. This timing favors North America with local peak times ranging from 02:30am EST on January 4th to 11:30 PST… Read More >
Meteor Activity Outlook for December 24-30, 2011
During this period the moon reaches it new phase on Saturday December 24th. At this time the moon will be located near the sun and will be invisible at night. As the week progresses the waxing crescent moon will enter… Read More >

The Ursids are an obscure shower that is active for a week prior to Christmas. This shower is listed among the annual major showers as its ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rate) averages ten shower members per hour. Actual rates can be… Read More >
Meteor Activity Outlook for December 17-23, 2011
During this period the moon reaches it last quarter phase on Sunday December 18th. The half illuminated moon is still very bright and must be kept out of your field of view for successful meteor observations. During this period, the… Read More >
During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Saturday December 10th. At this time the moon will lie above the horizon the entire night and will severely impact meteor observing by obscuring all but the brightest meteors. As… Read More >
USA Fireball – December 7, 2011
The American Meteor Society has so far received approximately 50 reports of a dazzling fireball over much of the eastern half of the USA, stretching all the way from South Carolina to Wisconsin. Most of the reports have come from… Read More >
No matter where you live, the first half of December provides some of the best meteor activity of the year. Unfortunately in 2011, the moon will spoil much of this activity as I reaches its full phase on the 10th.… Read More >
Viewing the Geminid Meteor Shower in 2011
The Geminid meteor shower normally provides the strongest display of meteor activity each year. Unfortunately, this year, like many of the other major annual showers, the Geminids will be compromised by a bright moon. Activity from this source may be… Read More >