point is an effect of perspective; the meteoroids are actually traveling in parallel through space. Meteors appearing near the radiant will display short trails because we see them nearly head on, while those far from the radiant, are seen broadside, hence look much longer.
An illustration of the night sky on Aug. 12 showing the Perseids and their radiant point in the Perseus constellation.A very good shower like the Perseids will produce about one meteor per minute for a given observer under a dark country sky. Any light pollution or moonlight considerably reduces the count.
Watching for meteors consists of lying back, gazing up into the stars, and waiting. Typically, the direction to watch is wherever your sky is darkest, usually straight up. For the Perseids, it is customary to watch the point halfway between the radiant and the point directly overhead , though it's all right for your gaze to wander.
Making a meteor count is as simple as lying in a lawn chair or on the ground, and marking on a clipboard whenever a"shooting star" is seen. Record the beginning and ending times of each of your observing periods to the minute , and record the amount of any skywatching time lost to note-taking or breaks. Also record the fraction of your visual sky view, if any, that is blocked by obstructions or occasional clouds.
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