During this period the moon will reach it's first quarter phase on Thursday July 19th. At that time the moon will be located 90 degrees east of the sun and will set around 0100 local daylight saving time (DST). This weekend the waxing crescent moon will set during the early evening hours and will not interfere with meteor viewing.
During this period the moon will reach it's first quarter phase on Wednesday June 20th. At that time the moon will be located 90 degrees east of the sun and will set near 0100 local daylight saving time (LDT). This will cause interference with evening meteor viewing but the more active morning hours will be free of moonlight. This weekend the waxing crescent moon will set prior to midnight allowing good views of the morning activity.
A small asteroid discovered Saturday morning, determined to head for Earth, impacted the planet's atmosphere just a few hours later on June 2nd over Botswana.
During this period the moon will reach it's full phase on Tuesday May 29th. At that time the moon will be located opposite the sun and remain above the horizon most of the night. This weekend the waxing gibbous moon will set during the late morning hours, giving a small window of opportunity to view meteor activity between moonset and the start of morning twilight.
During this period the moon will reach it's first quarter phase on Tuesday May 22th. At that time the moon will be located 90 degrees east of the sun and set near 0200 local daylight saving time (LDT). This weekend the waxing crescent moon will set during the mid-evening hours and will not interfere with meteor observing during the more active morning hours.
During this period the moon will reach it's new phase on Tuesday May 15th. At that time the moon will be located near the sun and will be invisible at night. This weekend the waning crescent moon will rise shortly before dawn and will be too thin to cause any problems viewing meteor activity.
During this period the moon will reach it's last quarter phase on Tuesday May 8th. At that time the moon will be located 90 degrees west of the sun and will rise between 02:00 and 3:00 local daylight saving time (LDT) as seen from mid-northern latitudes. As the week progresses the waning crescent moon will become less of a problem as it rises later in the morning with each passing night.
Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower 2013 -Composite of approximately 50 images containing 26 meteors, meteor train, 17 % moon, zodiacal light…
On the night of maximum activity (April 21/22) the Lyrid radiant will lie in eastern Hercules, not far from the brilliant white star known as Vega (alpha Lyrae). The Lyrids are usually faint meteors possessing average speeds. Lyrid fireballs are uncommon but do occur on occasion.
The estimated total hourly meteor rates for evening observers this week is 2 as seen from mid-northern latitude (45N) and 4 from the southern tropics (25S). For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near 3 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and 6 from the southern tropics (25S).
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 may shoot northward...
For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near 8 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and 9 from the southern tropics (25S). The actual rates will also depend on factors such as...
The estimated total hourly meteor rates for evening observers this week is 3 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and 4 from the southern tropics (25S) . For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near 11 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and 12 from the southern tropics (25S).
During this period the moon will reach its first quarter phase on Tuesday December 26th. At that time the half-illuminated moon will lie 90 degrees east of the sun and will set near midnight local standard time (LST) as seen from mid-northern latitudes. As the week progresses the waxing gibbous moon will set later in the morning as the window of opportunity to view under dark conditions diminishes.
The Geminid meteor shower is the favorite of most meteor observers as it usually provides the strongest display of the year. On the peak night (December 13/14) between the hours of 1:00 and 2:00am local standard time (LST), an observer located in mid-northern latitudes under clear skies has the opportunity to view at least 75 Geminid meteors.
The estimated total hourly meteor rates for evening observers this week is near 3 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and 2 as seen from tropical southern locations (25S). For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near 15...
During this period the moon will reach its first quarter phase on Sunday November 26th. At this time the half-illuminated moon will lie 90 degrees east of the sun and will set near 2300 (11pm) local standard time (LST). The moon will interfere with evening observing but will set before the more active morning hours arrive. Toward the end of this period the waxing gibbous moon will remain in the sky most of the night, obscuring all but the brighter meteors.
During this period the moon will reach its new phase on Saturday November 18th. At this time the moon will lie near the sun and will be invisible at night. Next week the waxing crescent moon will enter the evening sky but will not interfere with meteor observing.
During this period the moon will reach its last quarter phase on Saturday November 11th. At this time the half-illuminated moon will rise near midnight local standard time (LST) and will remain above the horizon the remainder of the night. The moon will be bright but successful meteor watches can be conducted if you face away from the lunar glare. Viewing circumstances improve with each passing night as the moon's phase wanes and it rises later in the morning.
Since 2011, the American Meteor Society (AMS) online fireball report form has been translated in 30 different languages. We now receive thousands of reports from all around the world. Lately, we received more than 120 reports about a Fireball event that occurred over South East of France (Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur) on October, 30th.
The Orionids, like all meteor showers, are named after the constellation in which they appear to come from, which in this case is Orion. Remnants from this shower come from Halley's Comet, officially designated 1P/Halley.
American Meteor Society