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Perseids, Quadrantids, Geminids, Meteor showers, nightlife events, eclipse, Oahu, Waikiki, Honolulu Hawaii |
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The Perseids have been known as the "tears of St Lawrence", since these shooting stars are in abundance during the festival of that saint on August 10th.
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Hawaii has the privilege of being in a prime location to observe several meteor showers each year. On any clear, moonless night, far from city lights you'll see at least a few sporadic meteors. When we are fortunate enough to be on the water when this occurs, tens or hundreds of meteors can be observed over just a few hours. Being on the water on the right day and time, is a sort of a celestial lottery. Projected peak dates or times may change as the earth draws nearer to the shower, so keep posted! You can enjoy one of Nature's spectacular night time displays aboard a 42ft. private catamaran. . We'll sail out far enough to be away from the influence of artificial lights. Next we will cruise parallel with the coastline, allowing our eyes to adjust to the darkness while enjoying the view of the Waianae Coast by starlight. Observing these meteor showers form the sea could not be easier. You do not need any specialist equipment or knowledge, all you need are your eyes, and dark skies
As always, these predictions are to be treated with great care: timing and peak values may vary widely.
Typical
Lyrid meteors are nearly as bright as the main stars in the Big
Dipper, which makes it a good shower
This is a fine, rich stream, but it is visible for only a few hours before dawn essentially from tropical and southern hemisphere sites. Fast and often bright meteors make this shower worthwhile, and many events leave glowing persistent trains after them. We'll be leaving slightly 4:30am for the shower and when the sun rises... a regular Morning Wildlife Cruise (GREAT time of year for dolphins), then back to the dock by 8:30am. Continental breakfast included. $105 per person... Arietid meteor shower, streaming out of a point not far from the sun, peaks on Sunday, June 7th. The best time to look is just before dawn on Sunday morning when it may be possible to spot a small number of Arietids skimming the top of Earth's atmosphere. Such "Earthgrazing" meteors tend to be long, colorful, and very pretty. "The Arietids are the strongest daylight shower of the year," notes Bob Lunsford of the American Meteor Society. "If you could see them through the sun's glare, you would count as many as 60 per hour. Also, don't forget that the daytime Zeta Perseids peak only two days later and are considered the second strongest daylight shower. In all my years of viewing I have never seen a Zeta Perseid, but I have seen a few Arietids. They have all been Earthgrazers and very impressive meteors."
The major northern hemisphere Perseids may be badly affected by the last quarter Moon near their best this year - and a daylight peak, but so far we are still going out as heightened activity is predicted. We will be leaving at sunset to catch the "earth-grazers" those fewer - but longer, bigger and brighter trails. This is the most famous of all meteor showers. It never fails to render an impressive display and, due to its summertime appearance, it tends to provide the majority of meteors seen by non-astronomy enthusiasts. The warm summer nights, coupled with bright shooting stars are enough to entice even the most armchair-bound astronomer outside.
Every year in October Earth passes through a stream of dusty debris shed long ago by Halley's comet. This shower produces a peak rate of 20 yellow and green meteors per hour, which are fast moving at 41.6 miles per second and are known to produce fireballs.
Although the Taurids meteor stream is spread over a few weeks, it peaks for only a couple of nights. The brightness, relative slowness and long trains (fireballs) of the Taurids make them ideal targets for photography. In 1995, an impressive crop of brilliant Taurids occurred between late October and mid-November.
The Leonids peak at 6:00 PM on Nov. 17th but Leo does not rise until 1:00 AM on the 18th. Therefore Hawaii will pretty much miss out. The last great Leonid meteor storm took place in 2001, the most impressive shower in 35 years! Future storms not expected to equal this one. The meteors are very fast and leave persistent trails. Another characteristic of the Leonids are unexpected peaks other than Nov. 17, so you can keep an eye on the sky during the entire week..
The best meteor shower of 2009 is about to fall over Hawaii on a tropical December night. The peak of the shower is on December 14, although some meteors should be visible from December 6 - 19. In 2009, a nearly new moon will provide an excellent viewing experience. The Geminids are possibly the most reliable of the annual showers and considered by many to be the best meteor shower in the heavens, and are known for producing multicolored meteors 65% being white, 26% yellow, and the remaining 9% blue, red and green. Rates typically peak at 100-120/hour; this high activity lasts for several hours. It is certainly possible to see 80-100 Geminids in a single hour, along with 10-20 non-Geminids, but only from a dark site!
Typically, 40 or so bright, blue and fast (25.5 miles per second) meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, some blazing more than halfway across the sky. A small percentage of them leave persistent dust trains. This shower usually has a very sharp peak, usually lasting only about an hour. The shower will peak this year on January 3, but some meteors will be visible from December 28 - January 7.
For all night charters, we recommend jackets, and maybe long pants, socks and a favorite blankie :-) The night temperature averages in the mid '70s, but it may get chilly out on the water.We reach waiting list status quickly for these unique charters, so the sooner you book - the better. $95 per person, 2 1/2hour semi-private sailing charters. Click Here for secure online order form Dolphin Tour l Whale Watching l Turtle Travels l Night Sails l Hawaii Snorkeling l Massage etc. l Rates, Prices l Online Booking l Free Dolphin Wallpaper and Screensavers l Volunteers and Internships l About Us Wild Side
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for both beginning and experienced
observers. Lyrids are also known for bright meteors with persistent trails. We'll be leaving before sunset for snorkeling,
waking up in the early morning hours for the
shower and when the sun rises... wild 