Now until early August: The best time to see a meteor!

Walking home through Collett Park in Shepton Mallet, late last weekend, I was reminded how beautiful the night skies are in our area.  Late July/Early August is about the best time to go out and watch out for shooting stars or 'meteors'.  This is because, despite the late sunset and early sunrise, it is warm (making people more persistent), many people take holidays (so they don't need to give up too early) and there is one of the best annual meteor showers, to boot. 

Nigh vision:

Those of you who noticed the increasing hype about the Perseid meteor shower over the past couple of years might quite rightly think that the best time to venture out would be August 12th-13th, but this is sadly not the case this year.  During the peak of what was an amazing show last year, we pass through the tail of the comet Swift-Tuttle, and this has been observed for around 2,000 years. So why not this year?

When we go out in the dark, our pupils adjust very quickly, but other parts of our eyes take up to 20 minutes to adjust, and any flash of light from a car, streetlight or security light resets your eyes back to where you started. 

This was really apparent in Collett Park last Saturday night, when even though there was a slight glare from lights across towards Field View, the Milky Way could be seen in all it's glory.  Because of so-called 'light pollution' many children in urban areas only get to see this wonder, which is basically us looking sidewards into our own Galaxy, in books. 

Unfortunately, during the perseid meteor shower this year, exactly the same amount of dust will fall to Earth as during any other year, but the moon will prevent our eyes from being able to adjust sufficiently to see anything other than the most dramatic meteors and fireballs, meaning they will seem rare, if not absent.

All is not lost.....bring on the The Capricornids and the Delta Aquarids!

There are two other meteor showers peaking around this time and over the next week is about the best time to view them, while the moon is little more than a dawn slither.  You don't need to be any kind of expert and here is how to enjoy some meteors...

Enjoying a meteor shower:

Make it an event!  You would be amazed, once you get a few people together, with something to warm the cockles, whether that's cocoa or otherwise, what an amazing thing the anticipation of seeing a 'shooting star' can be like.  Then when something streaks across the Sky, an inevitable cheer goes out, and everyone starts comparing their experiences.

• Find the area of the Sky you are going to look at - East/Southeast earlier in the night, shifting towards the South, Southwest later on in the night (towards dawn, if you make it that far)
• Wrap up warm, so you can stay out with your eyes nicely adjusted
• Get comfortable - a sun lounger is perfect
• Comfort includes refreshments
• Comfort also includes toilets - if you can arrange an unlit convenience, that would be, er, convenient (and save you 20min dark adjusting time per visit)
• Keep your expectations realistic...we are talking a maximum of 10-15 per hour, and you probably won't see them all.
• Be safe!  Being out in the dark is a whole different ball game - clear the paths of obstacles beforehand
• Spend 5minutes understanding what it is you are looking at - it wont steal the magic, it will add to it.

Most importantly, just enjoy it.  Looking up at the stars alone, with the Milky Way overhead, as it is at this time of year, is a true, pure and simple pleasure that so many people deny themselves.

All we have to hope for now, is nice clear skies!

Image credit ForestGladesiWander