WHERE: Fairfield Elementary School, 26960 County Road 96, Davis

EXPLORIT SCIENCE CENTER/DAVIS ASTRONOMY CLUB PRESENT:

Perseid Meteor Showers!
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
starting at 7:30 p.m.
at Fairfield Elementary School, 26960 County Road 96, Davis
(crossing of Russell Blvd/CR 96 in West Davis)

EXPLORIT (530)756-0191
Host: Vinita & Calvin Domier (530)756-7443

Join us Wednesday, August 11th at 7:30 p.m. to watch fireworks in the night sky due to the annual Perseid Meteor showers. The celestial show peaks on the Aug 11/12th with the chance of seeing 50 -100 meteors per hour. The Perseids should be spectacular as there are ideal viewing conditions and forecasts for higher than usual shower intensities.

The annual Perseid showers are the very popular to watch as they occur in August (when the nights are relatively warm) and there are lots of meteors per hour (average 60/hr). Some of them streak across the sky in long and colorful trails. This year, the Moon's light will not interfere as it is rising at 2:47 am.

Meteor showers occur when the revolving Earth passes through a stream of debris left in the wake of a comet during its perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) when it gets heated. As a comet is a 'dirty snowball', some of its gases vaporize carrying dust and tiny fragments. These particles continue to orbit around the sun in the same orbit as the parent comet. When Earth goes through the point in space where the two orbits intersect, it results in annual meteor showers. Perseid meteor showers are attributed to Comet 109P/Swift-Turtle (period 130 years).

Meteors are often mislabeled as shooting or falling stars. Astronomical speaking, meteors are the luminous streaks in the sky caused by debris particles. When the particles are in space they are called meteoroids, and if any parts survive Earth's atmosphere and land on the ground, they are known as meteorites. As meteoroids enter the Earth's atmosphere from interplanetary space at high speeds, they are vaporized because of friction with air molecules. The light caused by these glowing vapors moves through the sky like a fast moving star forming the visible trails and streaks.

There are 8 different annual meteor showers that occur during the course of the year. Even though meteors have real parallel motions and are visible anywhere in the sky, their apparent direction of motion is away from a specific area in the sky called the radiant. They are hence named after the constellation they appear to radiate from. Perseid meteor showers radiate from Perseus Constellation.

The best times to see meteor showers are between midnight and sunrise closest to their peaks. There will be some meteor activity few days before and after the most favorable night. Likewise there will meteors visible between sunset and midnight. More meteors will be visible after midnight as the radiant will be higher in the sky and an observer on Earth will be able to see meteors that are coming 'head-on' at Earth and the ones 'overtaken' by Earth. Before midnight, an observer can only see meteors that are overtaken. Meteors seen near the radiant have short trails, as they seem to be coming straight at the observer. Those seen far from the radiant have longer trails as they are observed broadside.

On Aug. 11 night, we will gather at Fairfield Elem. School to get away from Davis city lights. There will be hands-on activities from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. To watch the meteor showers, all you need is a reclining chair or blanket to lie on and jacket to keep you warm. Point your toes eastward and look half way up the sky. Make sure you have an unobstructed view of the sky and look in all directions. We will also look at Jupiter so please bring your telescope if you own one.

Only Jupiter (mag. -1.6 in Leo) and its 4 Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto) are visible in the night sky. Venus (mag. -4.1) and Saturn (mag. 0.2) are visible before dawn in Gemini.
Moon: First Quarter: July 24/Aug. 23, Full Moon: July 31/Aug. 29, Last Quarter: Aug.7, New Moon: Aug. 15.

Contact Vinita Domier at vcdomier@yahoo.com to receive these bulletins via e-mail.

To Receive These Bulletins via E-mail Contact Explorit at: Explorit Science Center

The Astronomy Club is for everyone - adults, children, knowledgeable or ignorant. Come to listen, look and learn, or to share your expertise or experience.