The estimated total hourly meteor rates for evening observers this week is near 3 for those viewing from the northern hemisphere and 4 for those located south of the equator. For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near 6 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and 10 as seen from tropical southern locations (25S).
The estimated total hourly meteor rates for evening observers this week is near 2 for those viewing from the northern hemisphere and 3 for those located south of the equator. For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near 5 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and 7 as seen from tropical southern locations (25S).
During this period the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Monday June 10th. At this time the moon is located 90 degrees east of the sun and sets near 0200 local daylight saving time (LDST). As the week progresses, the waxing gibbous moon will set later in the morning with each passing night, reducing the window of dark skies available.
June is another slow month for meteor activity. There are no major showers active in June and only the Anthelion source can be counted on for continuous activity. Sporadic rates continue to remain slow as seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45 N) with only half the rates seen from the southern hemisphere. As seen from the southern tropics (25 S) sporadic rates continue to be strong this month with morning hourly rates exceeding 10.
During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Sunday May 26th. At this time the half-illuminated moon rises between 0200 and 0300 local summer time (LST) and remains in the sky the remainder of the night. As the week progresses the moon will become less of a factor as it wanes and rises later with each passing night.
During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Saturday May 18th. At this time the moon lies above the horizon all night long, making meteor observations difficult at best. As the week progresses the moon's phase will wane and it will rise later each night. This will provide some dark skies between dusk and moon rise but unfortunately this is a very slow time for meteor activity.
During this period the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Saturday May 11th. At this time the half-illuminated moon is present in the evening sky and does not set until 3-4am as seen from mid-northern latitudes. As the week progresses the window of dark skies between moonset and dawn will shrink until it disappears by Wednesday May 15th.
During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Saturday May 4th. At this time the moon is invisible at night and poses no problems to meteor observers. As the week progresses the slender crescent moon will enter the evening sky but will set long before the more active morning hours arrive.
The eta Aquariids (ETA) are active between April 17 and May 24. The strongest activity is usually seen near May 7, when rates can reach 25-30 meteors per hour as seen from the tropical areas of the Earth.
During this period the moon wanes from nearly half-illuminated to almost new. This weekend the waning crescent moon rises during the early morning hours and will be a nuisance to meteor observers. It's not overpowering like a full moon so by simply keeping the moon out of your field of view you can still view decent meteor activity during the morning hours. As the week progresses the slender moon will be a non-factor and one can view wherever they wish in the sky.
During this period the moon will reach its last quarter phase on Friday April 26th. This weekend the nearly full moon will lie above the horizon nearly all night long. The glare from the bright moon will make meteor observing difficult at best. The lunar glare will obscure all but the brighter meteors. The glare will lessen which each passing night but will still be a hindrance all week long.
Last night was a busy night for the AMS: 2 very bright fireball events occurred less than 6 hours apart: one over Germany and one over Delaware (see from Washington DC, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware).
During this period the moon will reach its full phase on Friday April 19th. This weekend the waxing gibbous moon will set during the early morning hours and will not interfere with meteor observing the remainder of the night. Next week though the window of dark skies shrinks with each passing night so by Wednesday the nearly full moon will remain above the horizon nearly all night.
American Meteor Society
