Activity Outlook

Meteor season finally gets going in July for the northern hemisphere. The first half of the month will be much like June. After the 15th though, both sporadic and shower rates increase significantly.

During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Friday July 1st. At this time the moon will lie near the sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This weekend the waning crescent moon will not cause problems observing meteors as long as it is kept out of the observers field of view. The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this week is near three as seen from the northern hemisphere and four as seen from the southern hemisphere. For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near seven from the northern hemisphere and eleven as seen from south of the equator.

During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Wednesday June 15th. At this time the moon will lie opposite the sun and will be in the sky all night long. This weekend the waxing gibbous moon will cause problems while above the horizon. Once it sets during the late morning hours, a small opportunity will exist for viewing meteor activity between moon set and dawn. The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this week is near two as seen from the northern hemisphere and three as seen from the southern hemisphere.

During this period the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Thursday June 9th. At this time the moon will lie ninety degrees east of the sun and will set near 0100 local daylight time (LDT). This weekend the waxing crescent moon will not cause any problems viewing meteor activity as it is very thin and sets during the evening hours. The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this week is near three as seen from the northern hemisphere and four as seen from the southern hemisphere. For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near eight from the northern hemisphere and eighteen as seen from south of the equator.

June is another slow month for meteor activity. There are no major showers active in June and only the Antihelion source can be counted on for continuous activity. Even the Antihelion is located so far south this time of year that rates rarely exceed two per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere. Sporadic rates reach their nadir in June as seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45 N). Sporadic rates seen from the mid-southern hemisphere (45 S) continue to rise this month toward a maximum in July.

During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Wednesday June 1st.

During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Tuesday May 24th. At this time the moon will lie ninety degrees west of the sun and will rise near 0100 local daylight time (LDT) for observers at mid-northern latitudes. This weekend the waning gibbous moon will seriously interfere with meteor observing as the fainter meteors will be obscured by the lunar glare. As the week progresses conditions will improve and the moon wanes and rises later in the morning. The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this week is near three as seen from the northern hemisphere and four as seen from the southern hemisphere.