2006-10-20 09:51:52 · 9 answers · asked by LOUISE F 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Meteors are visible on any dark-clear night, but there are some specific dates of annual meteor showers that you should put on your calendar (Note that a couple of the dates are coming right up):
The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The shower is visible from mid-July each year, but the bulk of its activity falls between August 8 and 14 with a peak on August 12. During the peak, rates of a hundred or more meteors per hour can be registered.
The Leonids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle. The meteor shower is visible every year around November 17 when the Earth moves through the Leonid meteor stream.
The panoramic camera on Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recorded a streak which is now believed to have been caused by a meteor from a Martian meteor shower associated with comet 114P/Wiseman-Skiff. A strong display from this shower is expected on December 20, 2007.
Aloha
2006-10-20 10:01:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Tonight maybe!
Check out the BBC website's Space page, in the Sky Maps & Notes section. It is regularly updated with sky maps, details of each planet and how visible each one is from Eatrth at any given time, as well as details of any forthcoming meteor showers. I'm sure the section used to be called "what's up" and it's a great resource for finding up what's going on up there and where to look whenever the notion should take you!
I read about the Leonids on it once and they were spectacular. Don't forget it's always better to go somewhere with minimal light pollution when you're viewing the sky.
Here is the most recent excerpt on metor showers from the website (referenced in the source box below) - it shows that you might be able to see the Orionids from midnight tonight:
"October is the time for the Orionids. The date to see the maximum number of 'shooting stars' is on 20-21 October, when, with good skies, you may see up to 30 meteors per hour. The peak itself has been calculated as 8am on the 21st, so the later after midnight you leave it the better. The Moon, being nearly new, will cause no problems as it leaves the sky nicely dark."
2006-10-20 17:09:10 · answer #2 · answered by Les 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At any time of the year, the best time for spotting meteors (.."meteorites" are meteors that have reached the ground) is an hour or so before dawn. Here's a list of all the recurring meteor showers (..the name of the shower is the constellation from which the meteors appear to come)
Quadrantids
Jan. 4 (1-6 Jan)
90 per hour
Associated comet: unknown
Corona Australids
Mar 14-18
5 per hour
April Lyrids
April 21
(Apr 19-24)
12 per hour
Associated comet: Thatcher, 1861. Moderate shower; swift meteors.
Eta Aquarids
May 5
(May 1 – 8)
45
Associated comet: Halley. Very swift meteors with long paths.
June Lyrids
June 10-21
9 per hour
Ophiuchids
June 17-26
4 per hour
Capricornids
July 10- Aug 15
6 per hour
Delta Aquarids
July 30
(Jul 15 – Aug 15)
19 per hour
Picses Australids
July 15 – Aug 20
5 per hour
Alpha Capricornids
July 15 – Aug 25
4 per hour
Perseids
Aug 12
(Jul 25 – Aug 25)
80 per hour
Associated comet: Swift-Tuttle 1862 II. The riches annual meteor shower.
Cygnids
Aug 19 - 22
3 per hour
Orionids
Oct 22
(Oct 16 – 26)
25 per hour
Associated comet: Halley. Moderate shower; swift meteors.
Taurids
Nov 3
(Nov 20 – Oct 30)
12 per hour
Associated comet: Encke. Not usually a rich shower.
Cepheids
Nov 7 - 11
8 per hour
Leonids
Nov 17
(Nov 15 – Nov 20)
10 per hour
Associated comet: Tempel-Tuttle 1866/1997.
Phoenicids
Dec 4 - 5
6 per hour
Geminids
Dec 13
(Dec 7 – 15)
80 per hour
Associated comet: Phaethon. Good, rich shower.
Ursids
Dec 22
(Dec 17 - 24)
9 per hour
Associated comet: Tuttle
2006-10-20 17:21:46 · answer #3 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
August is a good time as we pass through the Perseids meteor shower. However check the attached link out.
2006-10-20 17:02:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You missed a good one in August, other than that im not sure when the next meteor showers are.
2006-10-20 16:59:41 · answer #5 · answered by sea_sher 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At night with no clouds, they are falling all the time. That's what shooting stars are.
2006-10-20 16:56:54 · answer #6 · answered by tucksie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in the night!!!
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/search.aspx?q=meteorites&Submit2=Go
2006-10-20 16:56:45 · answer #7 · answered by sushobhan 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
in the northern hemesphere its february in the southern hemesphere its october.
2006-10-20 16:56:28 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
go to space.com
they have all everything u need
2006-10-20 16:59:38 · answer #9 · answered by axlrose 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋