Tips for Successful Star Gazing

With meteor showers becoming more prominent in the sky during the summer, and the fall months, stargazing becomes popular this time of the year. But what are the correct ways of going about this? What is the best way to watch a meteor shower? Whether you are planning for a special meteor shower, or just want to observe the night sky, these tips are bound to help you in your stargazing experiences. There is at least one minor meteor shower active every single day, so your chances of seeing some action is good on any day, but of course, not as good as the more famous showers, where action is guaranteed. There is typically a greater shower at least once a month, although some may not be visible everywhere in the world.

Ideally, you should be in a rural environment, away from the city. Lights from cities and even small towns brighten the sky and severely diminish your ability to see the sky. If you live in the city, there may be an observatory, which can make this easier for you. Often they are on hills, to be above all the city lights. To see stars and meteor shows best, the sky should be dark enough that you can make out each individual star in The Big Dipper. It may also help if you allow your eyes at least an hour to adjust to the natural outdoors light. The best moon phase optimally would be a new moon, as there is no other light in the sky to distract.

If you are watching a meteor shower, you may want to check on the peak time, as this sometimes changes per shower. However, it usually begins around eleven pm or midnight, going on to about two or three the next morning. While you will see some before the peak time, during the peak time you will witness at least one "falling star" in each minute. Often, you will see many more per minute.