What is a Meteor Shower?
A meteor shower is truly one of the best shows that nature puts on, an astronomical event that turns the night sky into a spectacular wonder. During a meteor shower, hundreds upon thousands of small meteoroids burst into the Earth’s atmosphere lighting up the night sky in an event that is breathtaking to behold.
So just what is a meteor shower, and where exactly do they come from? Meteor showers are actually the result of the Earth passing through the tail of a comet, where the meteors that create the shower are located. As the comets orbit brings it closer to the sun, the comet starts to heat up and bits and pieces of the rock that it is made from start to break away. These pieces of rock are pulled along behind the comet, creating what we see as the comets tail.
As the Earth orbits around the sun, it occasionally passes through one of these comet tails, and a meteor shower occurs. The bits of rock that are being pulled behind the comet, now called meteoroids, begin to fall into the Earth’s atmosphere. Due to the friction that occurs from them entering the atmosphere, the meteoroids begin to vaporize, resulting in the streak of light that we see across the sky.
In many cases, there will be hundreds if not thousands of these meteoroids falling into the atmosphere as we pass through the comet tail which is how the “shower” occurs. While it is possible to see a single meteor fall through the sky, which most people refer to as a shooting star, a single streak of space debris falling to the Earth is in no way comparable to the spectacle of the multiple meteoroids we experience during a shower. And, in some cases the debris within the comet tail is so extreme that we experience a meteor storm rather than a shower, with hundreds of visible meteoroids being seen each minute.
A meteor shower is a wonderful event to experience. However, in order to truly be able to enjoy and appreciate this show of nature, there are some things that you will need to do to ensure that you are getting the best view possible so that you can thoroughly enjoy what the night sky has to offer.
In most cases, a meteor shower can be viewed from almost any location on the globe. Unlike other astronomical phenomena such as lunar or solar eclipses which can only be viewed from certain areas on the globe, there are very few spots where a meteor shower will not be able to be seen. During some of the meteor showers that occur, some locations on the planet may be shadowed from a certain spot of the sky making viewing the meteor shower difficult, but this is not an issue that affects every meteor shower from being viewed. So, even if you are unable to view a particular meteor shower due to this “shadow,” rest assured this will not always be the case and you will certainly be able to view another shower that occurs from a different radiant in the sky.
The first step in making sure you have the best possible view of the meteor shower is to make sure that the shower is coming from a radiant that is above your horizon. (This is where the aforementioned “shadow” comes into play.) If you are able to see the constellation that the shower will be radiating from, it is safe to say that you will have no problem viewing the shower.
Next, you will want to try and view the shower as late in the evening as possible. Most of the radiants for showers peak in the sky after midnight, so viewing the shower very late in the evening up until dawn is the best way to ensure that you experience the full affects of the shower and helps to make sure the shower is most visible. In fact, most meteor showers peak very early in the morning so you will likely see more meteorites as the night goes on.
The location that you choose to view the shower from is also important. You will want to choose an area that is as far away from any light pollution as possible. Light pollution is any man made light that brightens the night sky and makes viewing anything in the sky difficult, including meteor showers. Even if you live in a large city, chances are there are some remote locations within traveling distance that will provide you with the dark night sky you need to see the shower, just make sure that the location you choose to go to is safe.
Finally, make sure that the location you choose if free from any obstructions that may block your view of the shower. While hiking out into the woods will certainly provide you with the remote darkness that you need to view the shower, if your vision is obstructed by a lot of trees you’re really not going to be able to see the shower in all of it’s glory. A wide open field with no trees or other obstructions that does not have any sources of light pollution is truly the best way to enjoy all that the meteor shower has to offer.
Best Viewed Meteor Showers-What They Are and when They Occur
The planet Earth is almost always experiencing a meteor shower. Most meteor showers are weak and can hardly been seen with the naked eye, however there are some meteor showers that are extremely strong and viewed quite easily.
Some meteor showers such as the Perseids and the Leonids are the most well known, but there are other, less popular meteor showers that can be viewed in the night sky as well. Some of these meteor showers produce only a handful of meteors per hour, while others will sometimes produce meteor storms, producing a meteor every few seconds or minutes. Though the number of meteors they produce will vary, these meteor storms can generally always be seen quite easily with the naked eye.
The Quadrantids Meteor Shower
At the beginning of the year in early January, we encounter the Quadrantids. The radiant, or starting point, of the Quadrantids meteor shower is an area inside the constellation of Bootes. The celestial body that causes the Quadrantids meteor shower is a topic of debate, though many scientists and astronomers believe that it was once a minor planet that became a comet. The Quadrantids can be viewed the first week of January from the 1st through the 5th, and they peak on January 3rd.
The Lyrids Meteor Shower
The Lyrids meteor shower is the next strong shower to occur during the year. Lasting from April 15th to April 28th, this meteor shower peaks on April 22nd. The Lyrids meteor shower radiant is in the constellation of Lyra. The celestial body that causes the Lyrids is the Comet Thatcher. The Lyrid meteor shower can be viewed from almost anywhere, and can best be seen in the early morning hours before sunrise. When viewed in the country away from city lights, you can generally see between 5-20 meteors per hour.
The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
Partially coinciding with the Lyrids are the the Eta Aquarids. This meteor shower starts on April 19th and lasts until May 28th, peaking between May 4th to May 6th. The Eta Aquarids radiant is in the constellation of Aquarius near the bright star Eta Aquarii. The source of the Eta Aquarids is the famous Halley’s Comet. This meteor shower is best seen when viewed during the early morning hours before sunrise, away from city lights.
The Arietids Meteor Shower
The Arietids shower is a very long event, lasting from May 22nd to July 2nd of each year, peaking around June 7th. This meteor shower is a relatively new event in our history, having only been discovered in 1947. What is most spectacular about the Arietids shower is that it is the strongest daylight shower of the entire year. The cosmic body that is the source of the Arietids is unknown, however some scientists and astronomers believe that it comes from the asteroid called 1566 Icarus. The radiant of the Arietids shower is in the constellation of Aries.
The South Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower
The South Delta Aquarids shower occurs between the dates of July 12th and August 19th, peaking around July 28th. The radiant of this shower lies in the constellation of Aquarius, however the celestial body that causes this event is unknown. The South Delta Aquarids are a very strong shower, with rates of about 15-20 meteors per hour and a possible peak rate of 60 meteors per hour. This shower can be viewed from almost anywhere away from city lights, however it is best seen in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Perseids Meteor Shower
The Perseids shower begins on July 17th and ends on August 24th, peaking on August 12th. The Perseids are definitely one of the most popular meteor showers that occur. The Perseids radiant is in the constellation of Perseus, and the celestial body that creates them is the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The rate of meteors during the Perseids shower is quite high, and in optimum viewing conditions, between 60-90 meteors per hour can be seen during its peak.
The Orionids Meteor Shower
October brings us the Orionids shower between October 2nd and November 7th. This shower peaks on October 21st. The Orionids are another extremely strong shower, with as many as 60 meteors being viewed per hour at its peak. During the days before and after its peak, as many as 5-10 meteors can be viewed per hour. The radiant of the Orionids is the constellation of Orion, and like the Eta Aquarids shower, the cosmic parent body of the Orionids is Halley’s Comet.
The Leonids Meteor Shower
The Leonids definitely deserve an honorable mention in our list of strong meteor showers, however the Leonid shower is quite irregular. This is one of the more well-known meteor showers, occurring between November 14th and November 21st, peaking around November 17th. Some years, the Leonid shower puts on quite a show with multiple meteors falling per minute, however most often, the rate of meteors is about one meteor every two or more minutes. The Leonids radiant lies in the constellation of Leo, and are formed by the Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
The Geminids Meteor Shower
The Geminids are the last strong meteor shower of the year. Occurring between December 7th and December 17th, this meteor shower peaks on December 14th. The Geminid shower was first observed 150 years ago, and seem to be intensifying in strength each year. Recent showers have consisted of as many as 120-160 meteors per hour when viewed in optimum conditions. The Geminids radiant lies in the constellation of Gemini and the cosmic parent of this meteor shower is believed to be 3200 Phaethon, which astronomers believe is an extinct comet.