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(meteorobs) METEORS AND LEARNING THE SKY (was Re: Skywatching...)
Philipp asked:
>I can watch the sky and compare it with the map, but mostly I think,
>that I'm wrong. Could someone tell me the best ways to watch the sky
>and find the things you are looking for... ?
Well, Philipp, since you ask this question on a meteor-observing list, I would
suggest the best way to learn the sky better is to observe meteors! :)
Seriously, if you begin watching the skies during early mornings just PRIOR TO a
major shower peak (such as the Geminids in just 10 days!), you really only need
to be sure of ONE sky position to be able to make beginning observations - i.e.,
the position of that meteor shower's "radiant" on that night. (Experienced
observers, please keep comments about magnitudes in check for now!)
Note finding the CONSTELLATION where the radiant happens to be that night is NOT
sufficient to determine what meteors are members of that shower...
Instead, you must find the radiant's EXACT position within that constellation,
and be very careful when tracing meteor paths back to the radiant. An error OR
an imprecision of only ten degrees can result in misaligning quite a few of
meteors to that radiant during the course of a night!
As for how best to find radiant positions when you're just learning the sky, I
actually recommend finding a very good set of PAPER charts - and the WIDER the
format of these charts, the better. As a matter of fact, a good guidebook to
learning the CONSTELLATIONS is probably even better for the beginner than wide
format charts: the Constellation book I always recommend is "The Stars: A New
Way to See Them", by H. A. Rey (of "Curious George" fame).
Now once you HAVE observed a major shower peak, on the right night, at the right
times, you'll test yourself very stringently on how well you pinpointed that
radiant! If you saw 40 "Sporadics" and only 5 "Geminids" during the peak, you'll
kick yourself because you know you got the radiant wrong! ;>
NOTE: This sounds frustrating, but after you've seen just two or three major
showers in a year, you may find you're more familiar with the naked-eye sky than
most people who have used their telescopes and charts for years...
Clear skies, and good luck for the Geminids, Philipp!
Lew Gramer
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