meteror shower?

Question

i heard there was going to be a meteor shower this weekend. will it be visible from washington state? seattle area... and what time would be the best to see it? i have never seen one before so i dont really know what to look for either.

Answer 1

You can start observing the Perseid meteor shower after about 11:00 PM local time on Saturday night with the peak on Sunday night. Just get a dark viewing site, a comfortable reclining chair, some warm clothes, bug repellent and look up. There will be ~30 meteors/hour Saturday night and about 60-80/hour on Sunday night. As a general rule, the best time for meteor viewing is after midnight into the early morning.

As for observing, just look up and try to get as wide a field of vision as you can. The meteors appear to come from a specific constellation, but streak across the sky, some bright, some not. So, if you look up, you will see them go across you field of vision.

Have fun!

Answer 2

The Perseid meteor shower peaks on the new-Moon night of Sunday–Monday, August 12–13 and can be seen from anyplace in the northern hemisphere.

The Perseids have a broad peak. So don't despair if clouds are forecast for Sunday night — or if work obligations prevent you from staying up until dawn on Monday.

The meteor rate increases to roughly 30 per hour in the predawn hours on Saturday, 45 per hour on Sunday morning, and 80 per hour before the sky starts to get light on Monday morning. That's for a single observer at a dark-sky site in the north temperate latitudes.

The Perseid meteors appear to stream away from their radiant near the border of Perseus and Cassiopeia. But wherever you see them, they appear to be moving away from the shower's radiant point near the Perseus/Cassiopeia border. This is a perspective effect, happening for the same reason that snowflakes appear to stream away from the center of the road when you're driving through a snowstorm.

On any given night, activity starts slowly in the evening but picks up by 11 p.m., when the radiant gets reasonably high in the sky. The meteor rate increases steadily through the night as the radiant rises higher, peaking just before the sky starts to get light, roughly 1½ to 2 hours before sunrise.

For the most pleasant viewing experience, find a spot far from any city lights. Perseids tend to be relatively bright as meteors go, but you'll still see more the darker your skies are. Bring a reclining chair so that you can view high in the sky in comfort; there's no point in filling half your field of view with trees. Don't forget warm, mosquito-proof clothes or, better, a sleeping bag. No matter how hot the days are, it can get surprisingly chilly under a clear sky late at night, especially whan you're inactive. And for many people, the most important accessory is bug spray for the parts of you that remain exposed!

It doesn't really matter where in the sky you watch; meteors can appear anywhere. Just watch where it's darkest, usually straight up. It's probably best not to stare directly at the radiant, because meteors there leave short trails.

Answer 3

I would think that if you weren't too close to a major city that you would be able to see something... I myself am in Chicago... we are gonna drive out to the "country" in a little while and try to see some.

As for what to look for, it will just look like bright streaks across the sky. They'll be the size of stars, but will move pretty fast. Trust me, you'll know once you've seen one.

Answer 4

it's going on right now. you'll know one when you see it. they look like a flaming arrow flying across the sky - it's awesome. we just came in and saw about 6. enjoy!!

Answer 5

I too would also want to know about this. I didn't know there was going to be one untill I read this =).