How many shooting stars can we count?
The question
How many shooting stars can my family see in 20 minutes on a meteor shower night?
Shooting stars are tiny bits of space dust burning up high in the air. On a few nights each year, called meteor showers, there are many more than usual.
Equipment
- An adult
- Warm clothes, a blanket or reclining chair
- A clock or timer
- A sheet of paper and pencil for a tally chart, and a red torch if you have one
Method
- Pick a shower night, such as the Perseids in August or the Geminids in December, and check the weather forecast for clear skies.
- Go somewhere as dark as possible with your adult, lie back and let your eyes get used to the dark for 10 minutes.
- Watch the sky for 20 minutes. Every time anyone sees a shooting star, make a tally mark.
- Write down the date, the time and whether the Moon was in the sky.
- What to measure
- The number of shooting stars in 20 minutes.
- How to present it
- A tally chart and a picture of the night sky with the shooting stars you saw drawn in, plus one fact about what shooting stars really are.
- Take it further
- Count on a second night, or on an ordinary night that is not a shower, and compare the two numbers.
Safety
Always with an adult. Stay away from roads, water and cliff edges, wrap up warmly, and never go out alone.