Fall's Upcoming Meteor Showers

Meteor showers happen all the time, with a few considered major showers and reliable yearly events. Some showers happen over a stretch of time with peak nights for the best viewing, while most are limited to a few nights in totality. They are visible to the naked eye and require nothing more then a dark night and a comfortable place to sit back, relax and enjoy the celestial event.

The most visible meteor shower is the Perseid shower in mid-August and is probably the most watched meteor shower throughout the year. The shower itself actually goes on from July 15 through August 25, with peak days on August 12-13. While it's the most watched shower, the potential storminess of summer and phase of the moon can sometimes impair optimal viewing for this shower, but with such a long length of time it's almost impossible to miss this shower as it closes summer out.

The fall brings clearer skies and the King of Meteor Showers, the Leonid shower. The Alpha Auragids, peaking on September 1st, are the first meteor shower to look for. Primarily seen on the west coast of the United States, this meteor shower is best seen in the hours just before dawn. This year's waning gibbous moon may make this shower a bit difficult to see, but bursts of dozens of meteors an hour make this a memorable one for star gazers. Meteors in this shower usually erupt in bursts so there can be a good bit of down time between meteors.

If you don't live on the west coast or you just miss out on the September shower, the Orionids in October are definitely something to look forward to. With a peak on October 21, this shower is broad enough to see some spectacular activity from Oct. 17-25. The best viewing is the early morning hours of Oct. 20, 21 and 22, between 2a.m. and 6a.m. Since the moon will be setting during the early part of the viewing window the skies will be darker for most of the shower, allowing a greater view. This shower averages about 20-25 meteors per hour but last year's shower had double that. In addition to the outbursts of activity there are also unpredictable lows.

The Leonid shower in November is known as the King of Meteor Showers. Every 33 years this shower produces what is known as a meteor storm, where hundreds of thousands of meteors an hour can be seen. The last shower of this magnitude, in 1999, was less spectacular then it had been in 1933 and 1966. The shower lasts from November 14-21, with peak in the pre-dawn hours of November 18. In a year such as this one, when there isn't a meteor storm scheduled, the norm is for 5-15 meteors an hour, with unexpected bursts.

The best shower before the end of the year is the Geminids in December. The chilling nights of winter give way to clear skies, making them perfect for viewing celestial events. The shower is active from Dec. 7-17, with peak viewing December 14 from midnight to dawn. Geminids usually produce up to 100 meteors an hour, with 2a.m. being the best time for viewing. This year the waxing crescent moon will set early and won't cause any major interference in viewing.

While this isn't a prolific year for meteor showers, these are reliable yearly showers that should produce a good show. Anyone with an interest in the skies will find something every month in the approaching fall season to entertain and amaze them. If you've never seen a meteor shower then you're in for a real treat.