The star chart shows the location
of the Perseid radient at 3:00 AM on the morning of August 12, 2001. At
the indicated time, the radient is about 52 deg above the horizon; it will
rise higher as the morning progresses. The sun rises at 6:11 AM, so if
you start watching for the Perseids about 3:00 AM, you should have about
2 hours' worth of dark skies - except for the moon.
The radient is not the point where
the glowing meteor trails originate. If you plot the course of a number
of meteors across the sky, your lines will intersect at the radient. Thus,
the radient is the point in the sky where the meteor trails appear to converge.
For the Perseids, the radient gives the direction in space toward the point
where the earth's orbit intersects the orbit of Comet Swift-Tuttle.
Meteors can appear anywhere in
the sky, often far from their radient. A good observing strategy is to
relax in a chair or recliner where you can watch the sky between the radient
and the horizon. If you want to try some pictures, I can offer some fairly
simple advice if you'll call me. |
