How to Watch a Meteor Shower

By eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor

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Meteor showers are nature's own light show and, unlike eclipses, happen several times a year all over the world. You can never know for sure how many meteorites will be visible on any given night, but you can increase your chances of seeing some.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Step1
Consult an astronomy field guide, an astronomy hotline or a local weather forecast for the dates of upcoming meteor showers. Major showers include the Perseids around August 11 and the Leonids around November 17.
Step2
Drive to the darkest place possible as far away from street lights and city lights as possible.
Step3
Place a blanket on the ground.
Step4
Lie on your back and look up, slowly scanning the sky. Don't use binoculars or a telescope; the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and using binoculars just limits your field of vision.
Step5
Look for streaks of light in the sky, typically lasting two seconds or less.

Tips & Warnings

  • If the moon is going to be more than half-full that night, try to plan your trip to watch the meteor shower before the moon rises or after it sets. The light from the moon will interfere with your ability to see the meteors.
  • Typically, meteor showers are best seen after midnight because of the earth's rotation.
  • The most meteorites you can reasonably hope to see during a meteor shower are a few per minute, though you'll usually see fewer. Even under the best conditions, watching a meteor shower requires patience.
  • Don't forget to bundle up or even take a sleeping bag if the weather is going to be at all chilly. You'll lose body heat very quickly lying quietly on the ground.

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Anonymous

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on 11/22/2005 Because of the rotation of the earth and its motion in its orbit the best time to watch for meteors is usually from 11pm local time until sunrise. This is the time when you ae "on the leading edge of the Earth" as it sweeps up the particles that you see.

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eHow Article:  How to Watch a Meteor Shower

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