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Meteor Activity Outlook for May 18-24, 2019

by - May 17, 2019 - 1

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.

Meteor Activity Outlook for May 11-18, 2019

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.

by - May 10, 2019 - 3

Meteor Activity Outlook for May 4-10, 2019

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.

by - May 3, 2019 - 1

Meteor Activity Outlook for April 27-May 3 2019

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.

by - Apr 26, 2019 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for April 20-26, 2019

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.

by - Apr 19, 2019 -

2 Fireballs caught on the night of 16 to 17 April, 2019

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).

by - Apr 17, 2019 - 15

Latest Major Fireball Events

Everyday, we receive reports about fireballs from all around the world. Here are some of the latest major Fireball Events (with at least 30 reports):

    Browse all events Report a Fireball

    Pending Fireball Reports

    We are currently investigating 21 reports about fireballs seen over NY, FL, OH, PA, LA, CA, MO, IA, NE, KS and AZ.

    We are also currently investigating 32 reports from Austria, Australia, Switzerland, France, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

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    Scott Padgett
    Credit: Scott Padgett

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    Credit: M. August

    2018 was a pretty good year for AMS

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    Meteor Activity Outlook for April 13-19, 2019

    by - Apr 12, 2019 - 5

    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.

    Meteor Activity Outlook for April 6-12, 2019

    by - Apr 5, 2019 - 3

    During this period the moon will reach its first quarter phase on Friday April 12th. This weekend and for most of the week, the waxing crescent moon will set during the early evening hours and will not interfere with meteor observing as the more active morning hours are free of moonlight.

    Meteor Activity Outlook for March 30-April 5, 2019

    by - Mar 29, 2019 - 9

    During this period the moon will reach its new phase on Friday April 5th. This weekend and for most of the week, the waning crescent moon will rise during the early morning hours but will not interfere with meteor observing as long as you keep the moon out of your field of view.

    Fireball over US Northern East Coast on March 28th, 2019

    by - Mar 29, 2019 - 1

    The AMS has received over 260 reports so far about of a bright fireball seen above the Ashokan Reservoir, NY on Thursday, March 28th 2019 around 6:13am EST (10:13 Universal Time). The event was mainly seen from Connecticut and Pennsylvania but we also received reports from Washington DC, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. We also received a video of the event.

    Meteor Activity Outlook for March 23-29, 2019

    by - Mar 22, 2019 - 17

    During this period the moon will reach its last quarter phase on Thursday March 28th. At this time the moon will be located 90 degrees west of the sun and will rise near 03:00 local daylight saving time (DST) as seen from mid-northern latitudes. This weekend the waning gibbous moon will rise during the late evening hours and will ruin the sky for the remainder of the night.