Meteor Activity Outlook for October 27-November 2, 2012

During this period the moon reaches its full phase on Monday October 29th. At
this time the moon is located opposite the sun and will remain above the horizon
the entire night as seen from locations in mid-northern latitudes. This weekend
will not be any better as the moon will not set until after the start of morning
twilight. As the week progresses the waning gibbous moon will rise later in the
evening hours but will still interfere with the more productive morning hours.
The estimated total hourly meteor rates for evening observers this week is near
two for observers located at mid-northern latitudes and one for observers in
mid-southern latitudes. For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates
should be near nine from the mid-northern hemisphere and six from the
mid-southern hemisphere. 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. Rates are
reduced this week due to the intense moonlight.

The radiant (the area of the sky where meteors appear
to shoot from) positions and rates listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday
morning October 27/28. 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.

Due to the poor observing conditions present this week, the detailed listings of
each active radiant will not be presented until conditions improve during the
following week.

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