Archive
07/26/2013 – Ephemeris – South Delta Aquarid meteors at peak, but look for the Perseids
Ephemeris for Friday, July 26th. The sun rises at 6:22. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 9:14. The moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 11:13 this evening.
We are now reaching the peak of the South Delta Aquarid meteor shower, which is hampered by the waning gibbous moon in the morning sky, where it’s visible. This is also the time to begin to look for the Perseid meteors that will reach peak next month on the morning of the 12th. The Perseids are an all night meteor shower because the radiant point, the point from which the meteors seem to come is far enough north so it never sets. The largest number of meteors appear when the radiant is highest in the sky, before dawn. However as soon as it gets dark the low position of the radiant in the northeast will result in fewer meteors but the streaks will be longer, as the meteoroids hit the atmosphere at a low angle.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
South Delta Aquarid meteor shower at peak and Persieds firing up at 1 a.m. July 27, 2013. PerR and DAqR are the radiants.
07/28/11 – Ephemeris – GTAS Night at the Lanphier Observatory
Thursday, July 28th. The sun rises at 6:24. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 48 minutes, setting at 9:12. The moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 5:08 tomorrow morning.
The Lanphier Observatory in Glen Arbor is open Wednesday and Thursday nights through August but only on clear evenings from 10 to midnight. The observatory is located close to the beach at the Leelanau School, just east of Glen Arbor on M22. I was asked by Norm Wheeler, who is the director of the observatory to help him out tonight, so I’m also inviting the crew over from the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society to help out with me. The Delta Aquarid meteor shower is reaching peak around now. These will seem to come from the southeast in the morning. Also beginning to show themselves in the Perseid meteor shower. The full moon will dim their maximum on August 12th, but early meteors can be seen from now until then when the moon isn’t up.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 