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On average, expect to see a meteor by chance every several months, if you are not the type who likes to stare at the night sky. During a meteor shower, expect a dozen in an hour (denser meteor showers are rare). Meteor color ranges from pink (atmospheric absorption when close to horizon), yellow to white, green and blue. Fast meteors strike in a fraction of a second, while slow ones take several seconds. The longest meteors sweep through the whole sky (earth grazers), while the shortest ones appear and disappear at almost the same point in the sky (meteors close to radiant). The 'normal' magnitude is around -4 (~Venus) to 3 (~average stars), while fainter meteors simply escape notice. Most meteors' magnitude increase steadily and then fade out smoothly, but some would flash on and off. It is not unusual for a meteor to break up into two or more pieces, especially during the last segment of its trajectory.
| check the predicted peak hour. |
| no telescope is needed. Simply look at the sky above you. |
| dress very warm. |
| record start time, ending time and count the number of meteors you saw during this time. |
| record sky's limit magnitude. |
| record cloud percentage. |
| estimate whether each meteor is coming from the radiant or sporadic. |
| estimate each meteor's magnitude. |
Links:
International Meteor Organization
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