Meteor Shower Prospects for 2008

Meteor shower observing is most often problematic, especially when it comes to the predictions for the year's major displays of shooting stars. Researchers do their best to "forecast" a shower's peak activity based upon its historic performance. Many factors contribute to the accuracy of a peak prediction, including the visual reports of amateur and professional astronomers whose meteor counts help to define a meteor shower's activity profile.

Despite everyone's best efforts though, sometimes a forecast may not come to fruition. So when you read that a meteor shower will peak at a specific time, please take that forecast with a grain of salt. When I relate that kind of specific time and date information in one of my columns on meteor showers, I research several publications and compile their best scenarios to inform you. Sometimes they are right on target, and other times, well, they fall quite short of the mark. Don't forget that when that happens you are in good company, for I am out there on many of those occasions as well waiting to see a decent meteor shower display.

This past year (2007) wasn't too bad. I observed more meteors than I have during 2005 and 2006 combined! In looking ahead to the meteor shower prospects for 2008, I'd say that a pretty good meteor shower observing year is coming up. Perhaps 75 percent of the major displays will not be severely hampered by interfering moonlight when they reach their peak activity. All we have to hope for is cloudless skies.

We start out the new year with favorable conditions for the Quadrantid meteor shower on January 3-4. This sharp-peaked display (a couple of hours only) is predicted to peak at 1:40 am on the 4th. A waning crescent Moon, rising around 4:00 am, will not diminish the number of meteors seen. An observer in a dark sky location can possibly see up to 100 fast and often blue Quadrantids blaze more than halfway across the sky at 25.5 miles per second. A small number of them leave persistent dust trains in the atmosphere. For the Quadrantids I usually face north and scan from the northern horizon to zenith (directly overhead).

Clip and save the 2008 meteor shower prospects chart below and use it to plan your observing schedule for the coming year. Good luck with your meteor observing efforts.

Let's also hope the skies are clear for the February 20-21 total lunar eclipse. Here in the northeast we will be able to watch the entire event. Totality will last from 10:06 pm to 10:52 pm. That's only 46 minutes - a short duration because the Moon will not be passing through the central portion of the Earth's dark shadow. I'll provide more details about this lunar eclipse in a future column.