Meteors can almost always be seen on clear, dark nights, but they are especially frequent during meteor showers, when there may be a dozen or more meteors every hour. Meteor showers are predictable. Share these special viewing events with the children and their families.

Determine when meteor showers will be observable in your area and when the best viewing time will be using a sky almanac.

Sky and Telescope lists 2006 meteor showers and what you should expect to see.

Share the viewing times with children and their families and invite them to go outside to watch the night sky together.

Last updated
January 9, 2007

Who?
Ages 5 and up and their families

How Long?
30 minutes or more

What's Needed?

• • Calendar of meteor viewing events
• • Clear, dark viewing sky
• • Mosquito repellent
• • Flashlight
• • Snacks

Connections to the National Science Education Standard(s)

Standards A&D (grades K–4): Hone observation skills and develop an understanding of the locations and movements of objects in the night sky.

Standards A&D (grades 5–8): Develop the ability to make systematic observations and understand  that most objects in our solar system, for example comets, are in regular and predictable motion.