Meteor Activity Outlook for April 4-10, 2008

Meteor activity picks up a bit during April as
two major showers are active during the month. The first of these, the Lyrids,
are active from the 16th through the 25th, with a pronounced maximum on the 22nd.
Unfortunately this date coincides with a full moon this year so activity will be
reduced. The Eta Aquarids start appearing near the 20th and reach maximum activity
during the first week in May. Sporadic rates are low but steady as seen from the
mid-northern hemisphere (45 N). Sporadic rates seen from the mid-southern hemisphere
(45 S) rise this month toward a maximum in July.

During this period the moon reaches its new phase
on Sunday April 6th. At this time the moon will be located near the sun and will
not be visible at night. Next week the waxing crescent moon enters the evening sky
but will not interfere with observations. As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45 N) the estimated
total hourly rates during the evening observers would be two. For morning observers
the estimated total hourly rates should be near eleven. For those located in the
mid-southern hemisphere (45 S) morning rates would be near sixteen and evening
rates near three. These rates assume that you are watching from rural areas away
from all sources of light pollution. The actual rates will also depend on factors
such as personal light and motion perception, local weather conditions, alertness
and experience in watching meteor activity.

The radiant positions and rates listed below are exact
for Saturday night/Sunday morning April 5/6. These positions do not change
greatly day to day so the listed coordinates may be used during this entire period.
Most star atlases (available at science stores and planetariums) will provide maps
with grid lines of the celestial coordinates so that you may find out exactly where
these positions are located in the sky. A planisphere or computer planetarium program
is also useful in showing the sky at any time of night on any date of the year.
Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is positioned highest in the sky,
either due north or south along the meridian, depending on your latitude. It must
be remembered that meteor activity is rarely seen at the radiant position. Rather
they shoot outwards from the radiant so it is best to center your field of view so
that the radiant lies at the edge and not the center. Viewing there will allow you to
easily trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if it is a shower member)
or in another direction if it is a sporadic. Meteor activity is not seen from radiants
that are located below the horizon. The positions below are listed in a west to east
manner in order of right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first
are located further west therefore are accessible earlier in the night while those
listed further down the list rise later in the night.

The following showers are expected to be active this week:

The wide Antihelion (ANT) radiant is now centered at 13:56 (209) -11. This
area of the sky lies in southern Virgo, eight degrees east of the first magnitude
star Spica (Alpha Virginis). This radiant is best placed near 0200 LDT time
when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the sky. Actually any meteor from
southern Virgo or western Libra could be a candidate for this shower. Rates at
this time should be near three per hour no matter your location. With an entry
velocity of 30 km/sec., the average Antihelion meteor would be of medium-slow speed.

As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45N) the Sporadic rates are
low, but fairly steady. One would expect to see approximately eight random meteors
during the last hour before dawn from rural observing sites and two per hour
during the evening hours. As seen from the mid-southern hemisphere (45S) morning
rates would be near thirteen per hour as seen from rural observing sites and three
per hour during the evening hours.

The table below presents a condensed version of the expected activity this week.
Rates and positions are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning.