August 11, 2009 (9:45am) near Chicago
OK, folks:
The Perseid meteor showers are peaking. The moon is up...which is not
good, the best view is really somewhere in China this year.
But, if your sky is clear Tuesday night or ...2nd best...Wednesday
night, you should still see more meteors than usual.
If possible, you want to get to a place where there is no annoying halo
of light from a distant city in the arc of your sky from northwest to
southeast. In the USA, the moon won’t be up until 10PM or later, so that 2 hr
window between dark and midnight might be your best bet. You probably want to
be looking from directly overhead to your northwest and southeast horizons. A
lawn chair or air mattress, pillow, and blanket are good. Mosquito repellant
can be very useful. You don’t need binoculars or a telescope. Naked Eye is best.
The constellation Perseus will be appearing about midnight, starting
low in the northeast. It will be overhead about 1AM on either Tuesday or
Wednesday. The meteors appear to come from that constellation and streak out in
all directions. You may also see a few random meteors. They will appear to come
from other directions than northeast.
There may be an extra, shorter peak of Perseid activity about 4AM CST
in the morning. The moon will be higher then, but... Don’t look at the moon
directly. Block it with a quarry wall, tree or hill if you can - all through
your observing period on either night. One to two minute exposures, ASA
400,F2,28mm to 50mm will probably be best.
Good Hunting,
Orin, near Chicago...but not tonight ;)
--
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