8.3: Observing a Meteor Shower
Observing a Meteor Shower
Perhaps one of the easiest and most-exciting astronomy activities is observing a meteor shower. All you need is a lawn chair and your eyes. However, your conditions need to be just right: little street lighting, a clear view of the sky (from trees, buildings, and clouds), and a moonless night. Moonlight can quickly extinguish your view of fainter meteors.
Meteor showers are named after the constellation they appear to come from, called the radiant. For example, the famous August Perseids appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus. There are a couple of showers that do not follow this rule; for example, the Quadrantids are an older constellation that is no longer recognized, yet the shower name is still used.
Major Northern Hemisphere Meteor Showers
Each Meteor Shower Constellation for Date Range, Zenithal Hourly Rate, and Parent Body.
Quadrantids: Boötes the Bear Driver
Date Range : 12/28 — 1/12
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 120
Parent Body : Asteroid 2003 EH1 and/or Comet C/1490 Y1
Shower appears to come from the constellation Boötes, short shower maximum and usually difficult to observe
Lyrids: Lyra the Harp
Date Range : 4/16 — 4/25
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 18 — 20
Parent Body : Comet Thatcher
Relatively bright meteors
Eta Aquarids: Aquarius
Date Range : 4/19 — 5/28
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 50
Parent Body : Comet Halley
Fast, bright meteors; famous as the source of this shower is Halley’s Comet
Southern Delta Aquarids: Aquarius
Date Range : 7/12 — 8/23
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 25
Parent Body : N/A
Relatively bright meteors
Perseids: Perseus
Date Range : 7/17 — 8/24
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 150
Parent Body : Comet Swift-Tuttle
One of the most-famous showers; can produce a bright and magnificent display around the shower’s maximum, usually around August 12
Orionids: Orion the Hunter
Date Range : 10/2 — 11/7
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 15
Parent Body : Comet Halley
Not a large number per hour yet very bright and fast meteors. Another shower which is due to Halley’s Comet.
Leonids: Leo the Lion
Date Range : 11/6 — 11/30
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 15
Parent Body : Comet Temple-Tuttle
Perhaps one of the fastest of the regular showers; very bright meteors. The Leonids have produced strong storms in the past, with rates up to an incredible 100,000 an hour.
Geminids: Gemini the Twins
Date Range : 12/4 — 12/17
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 120
Parent Body : Asteroid 3200 Phaethon
This shower produces relatively-slow meteors; it’s source is unusual in that it is an asteroid, rather than a comet
Ursids: Ursa Major
Date Range : 12/17 — 12/26
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) : 10
Parent Body : Comet Tuttle
Slow and medium brightness meteors; included because you might see some of these meteors when watching for the Geminids
The date range of the showers are when members of the shower can be seen. The maximum usually occurs on a specific date and time. The ZHR , or Zenithal Hourly Rate, is the expected number of meteors at maximum if the radiant is overhead or at the zenith; if it is towards the horizon, expect to see fewer meteors. And, the Parent Body is the source of the meteor shower; most are comets but at least the Geminids are attributed to Asteroid 3200 Phaethon.
Occasionally, you will see a random meteor, called a sporadic. These are usually not associated with any shower. Sometimes that meteor will be very bright, called a fireball. And, occasionally, these fireballs will break up, called a bolide.