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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Go and catch some Perseid Meteors this week

11/12 August 2024

There are two major Meteor displays to enjoy....the Leonids in November and the Granddaddy of them all - The Perseids.

Debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle crosses the Earth's orbit around this time every year, putting on a nice display of quick streaks of light. These particles, about the size of grains of sand, (with some a bit larger), are considerably fast, travelling around 130,000 MPH as they intersect our upper atmosphere. As we plough through the densest part of the debris field, we call this a "Meteor Shower" and we should get a good one, with around 30+ meteors per hour in a dark sky and about 5/10 in a city environment.

The actual estimated peak will occur during the daylight hours for Chicago, but that's ok. Start looking at nightfall on the evenings of Sunday/11 August and into Monday/12 August - better after midnight, when the dark side of the Earth is fully facing away from the Sun and deep space. You can also catch meteors in the few evenings before and after the peak.

The Moon's glare will not be an issue if your observation starts after midnight, as it sets about 11:30 pm and the sky is wide open for the show. 

Meteor grains do not "Burn up" in our atmosphere, but rather "Ionize", meaning the temp gets so hot from the friction, that the electrons are stripped away from their host atoms and glow, creating that anticipated streak of light we all enjoy. When you do spot them, look for the color of the streak as the elements will give off their identity...

WHERE TO LOOK -

Meteor showers are named after the point in the sky where they appear to come from. This "Radiant" for this meteor event looks like it's coming from the constellation of Perseus, the Greek Hero deity of many tasks, including the beheading of Medusa. At this time of year, the constellation of Perseus hangs in the northeast. Some meteor searchers keep their lookout in this direction, but meteors can occur anywhere in the sky. If you look closer to Zenith (or straight up) you'll catch the fainter ones that might have escaped. Your peripheral Field Of View will serve you well and keep your head on a swivel.

WHAT YOU NEED

Meteor showers are quick, so no need for a telescope or any other optical gear. This is one astronomical event that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere just by looking up. All you need is a comfy blanket or chair, mosquito repellant, some tunes and beverages of your choice.  Your eyes are all you require.

Photographing the meteors?

But of course, as they are easily captured with a time exposure on a DSLR and wide field lens.  I like to close down my f/stop to f/11 for a 30+ second exposure and grab several meteors in the same shot.  Fish eye lenses are good, but I like to swap out lenses from time to time and focus on a nice grouping of stars and hopefully grab a streak that shoots right across.   

Cell phones to capture?  Sure, but you will need to support the cell phone somehow and search for the "Night mode" or download a manual control app to control the exposure, light balance etc... 



It's remarkable what cell phone cameras can capture now.

SHOULD YOU TRAVEL TO WITNESS THE SHOWER?

Major meteor showers can be viewed from anywhere and anyplace...even downtown Chicago. Now, of course, a darker sky will enhance your viewing enjoyment, increasing the number of meteors per hour.  But the brighter meteors easily punch thru the urban glare and observed. At my own Chicago Astronomer observatory in the inner city, I have observed the most remarkable bright streaks, leaving ghostly trails.  Walk away from anyone who tells you you cannot see anything under urban skies.  The Chicago Astronomer will always set you straight

If you wish to travel to darker skies, by all means, but staying close to home with all the amenities is cool too, (especially with young kids). But, wherever you decide to set-up, do not use white light flashlights or lighting during your observation session. You want to preserve your night vision and keep those pupils wide open, so use only red lighting while you are searching. Cell phones will do you no favor, so dim them or activate the red light feature if it has one.

Here is my WTTW segment of the Perseids of 2023...

news.wttw.com/2022/08/06/catch-perseid-meteor-showers-glowing-grains-grit-peak-aug-11-14

The extended weather forecast looks good for this weekend, so look up this Friday into Sunday evening and let me know of your experience. But, smoke from the Canadian fires may haze up our skies.




(NOTE: The Chicago Astronomer will not conduct a public observation session for the Perseids Meteor Shower. We will be in far
northern Illinois in a private engagement session guiding guests across the Cosmos for an all-night session under dark skies for this event.)



Send in your observations and sightings...and your pics will be cool to see too!

Astro Joe