Tag Archive: Anthelion Meteors

Meteor Activity Outlook for 30 May- 5 June 2020

During this period, the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Saturday May 30th. At this time, it is located 90 degrees east of the sun and sets near 02:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). As the week progresses the waxing gibbous moon will start intruding on the morning sky, shrinking the opportunity to view under dark conditions which each passing night. Toward the end of this period moon set and the start of morning twilight will be simultaneous.

by - May 29, 2020 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for May 16-22, 2020

During this period, the moon reaches its new phase on Friday May 22nd . This weekend the waning crescent moon will rise during the early morning hours and will only present a slight annoyance the remainder of the morning. One can easily obtain useful observations by keeping the moon out of your field of view.

by - May 15, 2020 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for May 9-15, 2020

During this period, the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Thursday May 14th. At that time, the moon lies 90 degrees west the sun and will rise near 03:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). This weekend the waning gibbous moon will rise during the evening hours and will challenge the meteor observer by obscuring all but the brighter meteors.

by - May 8, 2020 - 1

Viewing the eta Aquariid Meteor Shower in 2020

The eta Aquariids are the outbound particles of the Halley's comet. Activity from this shower will increase nightly and peak on May 5 and 6. (photo credit: May, 2nd 2017, Meteor over Mono Lake - © Jeff Sullivan Photography.com)

by - May 2, 2020 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for May 2-8, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Thursday May 7th. At this time the moon lies opposite the sun and will remain above the horizon all night long. This weekend the waxing gibbous moon will set during the early morning hours and will provide a small window of opportunity to view under dark skies between moonset and dawn.

by - May 1, 2020 - 3

Meteor Activity Outlook for April 25-May 1, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Thursday April 30th. At this time the moon lies 90 degrees east of the sun and will set near 3:00 local daylight saving time (LDST) on May 1st. This weekend the waxing crescent moon will set during the early evening hours and will not cause any problems for those trying to view the meteor activity.

by - Apr 24, 2020 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for April 18-24, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Thursday April 23rd. At this time the moon lies near the sun and is invisible at night. This weekend the waning crescent moon will rise during the early morning hours but will not cause any problems for those trying to view the meteor activity.

by - Apr 17, 2020 - 6

Viewing the Lyrids in 2020

The normal Lyrid display, seen under moonless conditions, usually offers a peak of around 10 meteors per hour in addition to the normal random meteor rate of about 5 per hour. The peak is sharp, only a few hours long, so don’t be surprised if you see far less than 10 Lyrids per hour. Yet when compared to the normal low activity seen during the late winter and early spring nights, the nights around April 22nd offer a nice bit of entertainment to help one stay awake.

by - Apr 12, 2020 - 5

Meteor Activity Outlook for April 11-17, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Tuesday April 14th. At this time the moon lies 90 degrees west of the sun and will rise near 2:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). This weekend the waning gibbous moon will rise during the late evening hours and will spoil the sky with bright moonlight the remainder of the night.

by - Apr 10, 2020 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for April 4-10, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Tuesday April 7th. At this time the moon lies opposite the sun and will be above the horizon all night long. This weekend the waxing gibbous moon will set during the morning hours allowing meteor observers a short window of opportunity to view under dark skies just before dawn.

by - Apr 3, 2020 - 5

Meteor Activity Outlook for March 28-April 3, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Wednesday April 1st. At this time the moon lies 90 degrees east of the sun and will set near 02:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). This weekend the waxing crescent moon will set during the late evening hours allowing meteor observers to view activity without lunar interference during the more active morning hours.

by - Mar 27, 2020 - 1

Meteor Activity Outlook for March 21-27, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Tuesday March 24th. At this time the moon lies near the sun and will be invisible at night. This is the best time of the month to view meteor activity as there will be no lunar interference.

by - Mar 20, 2020 - 9

Meteor Activity Outlook for March 14-20, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Monday March 16th. At this time the moon lies 90 degrees west of the sun and will rise near 02:00 local daylight saving time (LDST). This weekend the moon will interfere greatly with viewing meteor activity during the active morning hours. As the week progresses the moon will become less of a factor and successful meteor observing can be undertaken if the moon is kept well out of one’s field of view.

by - Mar 13, 2020 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for March 07-13, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Monday March 9th. At this time the moon is positioned opposite the sun and will lie above the horizon all night long. Successful meteor observing can be attempted this weekend during the short period between moon set and dawn. The remainder of the week the moon will interfere with meteor observing all night long.

by - Mar 6, 2020 - 8

Meteor Activity Outlook for February 15-21, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Saturday February 15th. At this time the moon will lie 90 degrees west of the sun and will rise near 01:00 local standard time (LST). These conditions are fine for the slow evening hours when the moon lies below the horizon. The more active morning hours will have interference from the moon but one can still obtain useful data as long you face away from the lunar glare. As the week progresses the waning crescent moon will rise later in the morning, allowing less interference during these more active hours.

by - Feb 17, 2020 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for February 8-14, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Sunday February 9th. At this time the moon will lie opposite the sun and will lie above the horizon all night long. As the week progresses the waning gibbous moon will rise later in the evening, allowing dark skies for a few hours during the early evening hours. Unfortunately this is the worst time to view meteor activity as rates are only 1-2 per hour at best.

by - Feb 7, 2020 -

Meteor Activity Outlook for February 01-07, 2020

During this period the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Sunday February 2nd. At this time the moon will lie 90 degrees east of the sun and will set between midnight and 01:00 local standard time (LST). As the week progresses the waxing gibbous moon will enter the morning sky, shrinking the window of opportunity to view meteor activity under dark skies.

by - Feb 2, 2020 - 2