SHOOTING STARS
The UK-China Leonid Meteor Shower
Observation Project

OBSERVING TIPS

Any good observer needs patience, so be prepared to spend at least an hour looking at the sky. You will need ten to twenty minutes for your eyes to get used to the dark, so that you can see more stars. You will need to wrap up warm, and have a hot drink with you, and something to eat. You will want to lie down, so have something comfortable to lie on, like a mattress or airbed.

You will also need to record your observations, so you will need your Observation Record Sheet and a notebook and a pen (not a pencil, because they can break). You should also have a clock or watch - preferably digital, and a torch with a red filter (a red filter cuts down the brightness of the torch, and lets you see without spoiling your night vision). It is difficult to observe and record at the same time, so it's good to do your observing with two friends, one who can tell you what the time is and hold the torch and the other to take notes. Swap over and take a break, from time to time.

Remember: keep calm! It can be very exciting when you see a meteor for the first time, and forget to note it down. If there are a lot of them, you will be very busy, and they are very fast! In 1966 the maximum rate was 40 per second!

How to Observe

First set your clocks and watches to the correct time using the radio, television, telephone or the atomic clock which is available over the internet. This is extremely important.

Get comfortable, and look at the area of the sky from which the meteors are supposed to come (the general area of Leo, making sure you can see the whole constellation). Every time you see one, tell your friend to make a mark, and note the time. Swap over every five to ten minutes.so that you don't both become bored.

At the end of your observing, you should have a record of how many meteors you saw, and when. This information can be put onto a graph, so that you can see if there was a maximum.

If you are using the recording chart, you should try to draw in the lines of the meteors as you see them, while your friend holds the torch and tells you the time. This is quite hard, so be careful. You can also try and put down your guess at the magnitude of the meteor by putting a number next to the trail. If the meteor lasts less than a tenth of a second, then just put a cross on the chart where you saw it. If it lasts longer record how long the trace stays in the sky. You can have a go at noting any colour that you see.

The chart (Observation Record Sheet) will record up to 50 meteors. You can use it to observe more than this, simply make another recording table, taking care to cross reference this with the primary record sheet.

Sometimes you will see meteors that don't seem to come from the same area of the sky as the Leonids. Meteors can come from all directions, so don't bother with these on this occasion.

Don't be tempted to take your favourite music with you, as it may distract you.

After your observing session, talk things over with your partner, and other friends who have been observing, as you may have seen different meteors. Have a master chart so that you can all put down your observations of the night.

For more information about how to observe, visit the excellent Astronomical Society of Victoria Meteor Section. This is essential reading with plenty of good tips.

Continue with Observing with Binoculars.

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