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Re: (meteorobs) Best time for Perseids
>Any last minute bits of advice would be helpful. I know the moon will
>affect this year's show, but I'm looking for the best time to watch.
Well, Jon, I wish I could say I have experiences to share from an all-night
Meteor Marathon last night, but... I don't! Massachusetts weather has done it
to me once again: It's obvious the only way for New Englanders to observe major
shower maxima reliably is to LEAVE... :(
Anyway, the question this year was, which was better: a radiant LOW in a DARK
sky in the evening, or a radiant HIGH in a BRIGHT sky after midnight. Both will
strongly affect observed rates: moonlight reduces the number of faint meteors
that will be seen, while the radiant's elevation above YOUR horizon affects how
much of our atmosphere's "strike zone" for that shower you see.
The problem is that no one I've yet heard could say which was the more severe
impediment to observing the Perseids this year. Did ANYONE in North America
catch last night's show? And could you say from what you saw, whether the
evening or morning was better?
Note that one factor which would prejudice any results last night was that
morning observers in the Americas were several hours closer to the predicted
"first" peak, at 14h or 15h UT (10am or 11am EDT) today.
Clear skies(!)
Lew
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