Are more meteors seen after midnight?
The question
Do we see more meteors in the early morning than in the evening?
In the evening our side of the Earth faces backwards along its path around the Sun. In the early morning it faces forwards and sweeps up more space dust, like the windscreen of a moving car in the rain.
Equipment
- An adult
- Warm clothes and a reclining chair or mat
- A timer and a tally sheet
- A red torch
Method
- Choose a clear, moonless night near a weekend or holiday.
- Count meteors for 30 minutes in the evening, about 9 or 10 p.m.
- Count again for 30 minutes in the early morning, about 4 or 5 a.m., or on a later night at that time, from the same spot.
- Record the time, the weather, the Moon and how many stars you can see.
- What to measure
- The number of meteors in each 30-minute count.
- How to present it
- A bar chart comparing the counts, a diagram of the Earth and its direction of travel, and your explanation.
- Take it further
- Repeat on a shower night. Shower meteors also depend on how high the radiant is in the sky, so the results may be different.
Safety
Always with an adult and never alone. Stay away from roads, water and cliff edges, and keep warm: early mornings are cold.