2007-04-17 14:57:03 · 8 answers · asked by Natural_Beauty 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
after 11pm before 3am... best time to catch a shooting star
2007-04-17 15:06:00 · answer #1 · answered by Matthew 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you misunderstand what a shooting star is.
Its a small meteor or chunk of rock that enters the atmosphere from space and due to friction and a few other factors it heats up and starts to glow (when things get hot they glow, think of a stove top element). What we call a shooting star is the glow we can see in the sky as the meteor falls through the air, glowing with heat as it falls. Most burn up completely before they get to the ground.
You could see a shooting star anytime (they strike our atmosphere all the time), but you will have better odds if you go out on a dark night around the time of one of the meteor showers - if you want more information on meteor showers you need to do some reading.
2007-04-17 15:09:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You (and millions of kids like you) should get out more. You are missing so much.
500 years ago nobody would have dreamed of asking such a question. They would have seen shooting stars every night.
How sad for the modern age. Science knows a million times what people knew in 1500, but most of the kids have not caught up on that knowledge and know less about the sky than people did in Copernicus time.
2007-04-17 15:38:03 · answer #3 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A single observer, looking straight up (at zenith) will see an average of seven meteors (shooting stars) every hour. If there is an active meteor shower you will see more. Early morning of August 12 is often a good time to watch for meteors because that is the peak of the perseid meteor shower, up to two per minute (see http://www.imo.net/calendar/2007 for a list of showers). However, no guarantees. Meteor showers are variable
2007-04-17 16:47:41 · answer #4 · answered by rsduhamel 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either when someone outs him or he gets the courage to come out himself! (lol)
Seriously, shooting stars are bits of matter in space that come close enough to Earth to be dragged into its atmosphere & burn up due to friction generated by the speed of the meteorite against the air. That incandescense is what gives the appearance of "shooting star".
In it's orbit around the sun, there are swarms of particles that cross Earth's orbit in predictable patterns. One of the more predictable occurs in August, when it is possible to see several shooting stars per hour.
Hank
2007-04-17 15:12:51 · answer #5 · answered by Hank Roitman, EA 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. Usually many times a night. So, tonight.
2007-04-17 14:59:58 · answer #6 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All the time you just have to be looking. Small bits of rock just fall down and burn up that is all it is.
2007-04-17 15:31:26 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. Smith 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
watch out at noon time tomorrow.. midday
2007-04-17 15:04:21 · answer #8 · answered by pinkbullet 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋