2010 Perseid Meteor Shower

[Christopher K.]

Today marks the absolute beginning of Perseid activity for this year, if one follows the American Meteor Society's span of 13 July to 26 August. The International Meteor Organization lists Perseid activity as occurring from 17 July to 24 August.

Early Perseids occur in a moonless sky until 23 July, when the Moon starts interfering and will continue to do so until 3 August. By 7 August the Moon will not be an issue.

AMS estimates for the early mornings of 12 August and 13 August viewers with dark dry skies could see up to sixty per hour. Those under dark but humid skies could see thirty to forty. Those under light-clogged and/or humid skies (hello, Baton Rouge!) might see up to twenty per hour.

IMO estimates that peak activity should occur 6:30pm to 9pm Baton Rouge time on 12 August. So probably 12 August and 13 August will be Baton Rougeans' surest mornings.

The typical Perseid meteor is bright white or yellow, and fast. Even during the peak, if one sees a slow meteor that cannot be traced back to the Perseid radiant it probably isn't a Perseid.

AMS 2010 Perseid info:
http://www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html#PER

IMO 2010 Meteor Shower Calendar (Perseids on page nine):
http://www.imo.net/docs/cal2010.pdf

[Christopher K.]

The Perseids' parent comet, 109P/Swift-Tuttle, won't return to the inner solar system until the 2120s. For now, however, the debris left behind should fuel this shower for the next few years.

Due to the lack of light control here in Baton Rouge, the nights on which any in town should focus are 10 August to 14 August--and that's only if one is willing to stay up past 1am.

Please report successes or non-successes at this thread; please report any fireballs to the American Meteor Society (link in previous post).

More information at:
Sky & Telescope, August 2010, pp. 60-62.

[Christopher K.]

This is the current Thursday night NOAA forecast for Village St. George, the suburb of Baton Rouge within which HRPO resides:
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 78. East wind around 15 mph becoming southwest.

Weather permitting, HRPO will be open free of charge for viewing the Perseids from 9pm to 1am. Families are welcome. There will be a telescope in operation for leisurely viewing of other celestial objects.

HRPO is on Highland Road between Siegen Lane and Interstate 10.

[Christopher K.]

Despite the weather forecast which mentioned a 50% chance of rain, ninety people came to the presentation and subsequent viewing at HRPO.

The meteor shower was very nice. Though I only saw a few due to my being indoors a great deal of the time, Ben saw between five and ten and Kenric saw between fifteen and twenty. Wally and Jane were on site as well.

The visitors seemed to be pleased. The clouds started breaking around 11:30, and it was all "uphill" from there. Even after HRPO closed and I left, I still did some meteor hunting until about 2:30.