Harrowsmith Fall 2019 | 187ASTRONOMYShower Moonlight
Interference
Quadrantids Jan 3 /4 120 0. 6 Partially
Perseids Aug 12 / 13 100 2 Partially
Geminids Dec 13 / 14 120 1 NoMAIN METEOR SHOWERS
Meteor showers are best observed after midnight, when our hemisphere is
plowing into the meteor stream. Although the duration of the most active portion
of the shower is short, some shower meteors can be seen many days on either side
of maximum.
There are about a dozen significant meteor showers each year. This is a list of
only the three major ones that have different “characters.”
The Quadrantids radiate from an area 20 degrees east of the Big Dipper’s
handle. The short duration of the shower is somewhat balanced by the possible
bright “fire balls” that are produced.
The speed between the meteoroid and Earth is relatively slow, so the meteors
will appear to move more slowly than the Perseids (see below).
The first-quarter moon will keep the evening sky relatively bright until after
1 a.m. on January 4.
The Perseids are the premier shower of the year. Its long duration will bridge
cloudy nights. The last-quarter moon on August 12 will keep the pre-midnight
sky dark, but the brightening sky after midnight will mask the fainter meteors.