Observing Meteor Shower

22nd Jan 2011

Since 2009, we started bringing the kids out to observe Geminid Meteor Shower which takes place mid of December every year. We usually join the local astronomy society, either Starfinder or Stargazer Scientific. Both are local society in the Klang Valley.

The following are my personal experience of how, where and when to observe meteor shower. If your kids like space and astronomy, this is certainly a 100% fun guaranteed outdoor learning exposure for them.

If you are living in Klang Valley, then it is a big challenge to observe meteor as Klang Valley is famous for being heavily light-polluted (I mean city light). To observe and capture meteor shower, you have to find a site far away from light-pollution. In 2009, which was our first meteor shower chase, we followed the local astronomy society Starfinder to The Farm located in Broga, Kajang. Last year, we went to My Gopeng Resort with Stargazer Scientific. Some other sites I heard folks frequently visited are Ulu Yam, Bukit Tinggi, Janda Baik and etc. So in short find a site away from city light-pollution.

For the above reason as well, it is necessary and more convenience to join a local astronomy society for meteor shower chase as this guarantees one’s personal safety. Never go alone or with friends in a small group to a quiet and dark site especially at night. Personal safety should always be the number one priority. The other advantages of joining a local astronomy society for meteor shower observation are food and accommodation are taken care of in general. In addition you get to meet new friends and pick up astronomy/stargazing know-how from the enthusiasts.

What do you need to bring along for the observation? Basically yourself. You can observe meteor shower using naked eyes provided the weather is good and the sky is clear. You do not need any observation tools e.g. a telescope or a binocular. Bring along a mat with pillow and blanket (or sleeping bag) and some thick and warm clothing so that you can comfortably lie down and observe the night sky for long hours. Mosquito repellent and some hot drinks as well as snacks will also keep you stay comfortable.

In 2009, we managed to capture more than 50 meteors from 10p.m. to about 3a.m. before we dozed off as the sky was excellent! Last year, in Gopeng on the 11th we only managed to capture 7. Beside the sky was cloudy, understood that it was also not the peak of the meteor shower yet, which falls on the 13th night / 14th morning. Nevertheless, the sighting is still spectacular and one will never forget the personal experience. Hence, we will continue making this our annual outing event in the calendar.

To note the peak of meteor shower as well as the time frame available for observing, check out the following site. As you can see, almost every month there is meteor shower but the easiest to spot ones are the Geminid and Perseid due to the meteor rate per hour is very high.
http://www.theskyscrapers.org/meteors/

To enquire about joining the local astronomy society, you can reach either :
Tommy Lim at tlkw79@gmail.com (http://www.starfinder.org.my/) or
Su Fen at sufen.cho@gmail.com (http://www.stargazeronlinestore.com/)

YouTube videos on launching water rocket which kids were taught to design and make together with parents during the event: