Seeing vs hearing meteors<\/strong><\/h2>The one serious drawback to observing meteors by radio is that you can\u2019t tell what direction they came from.<\/p>
Visual observers can easily tell if it was a Perseid meteor emanating from a radiant in Perseus, for example, or if it was a sporadic meteor that came from somewhere else.<\/p>
Radio listeners can\u2019t.<\/p>
But radio observation is something you can do when visual conditions aren\u2019t good.<\/p>
So the best approach is to use your radio on cloudy nights and use your eyes when the sky\u2019s clear.<\/p>
You can also make radio observations of a meteor shower using an amateur radio set at a known TV or radar frequency.<\/p>
This method requires an amateur radio with a dipole antenna.<\/p>
It allows you to hear or record pings of varying intensities and lengths amid background static.<\/p>
If a setup like this is beyond your scope, you can hear a live broadcast of them on the internet.<\/p>
Just connect to Spaceweather Radio<\/a>.<\/p>![\"Cloudy](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-827309170-1024x683.jpg?fit=800%2C534\")
Cloudy night? Try listening to meteors instead. Credit: Christoph Hetzmannseder \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>How many meteors will you hear on the radio?<\/strong><\/h2>While the number of signals you hear through your FM radio will depend on what equipment you have, the advantage of listening to meteors is that you can hear ones that are too faint to see.<\/p>
With the naked eye you can see the arrival of a particle as small as 1\/100th of a gram on a dark night, but dust grains much smaller than this can be detected using radio observation.<\/p>
In order to do so, however, you have to approach meteor showers differently, as you\u2019ll need to know the date of peak activity, which you can find in our guide to the next meteor shower<\/a>.<\/p>Listening to daytime meteor showers<\/strong><\/h2>There are also daytime meteor showers that can be observed only by radio because the radiant is close to the Sun.<\/p>
Arietids<\/strong><\/h3>The Arietids last from late May until early July each year and peak on 8 June. <\/p>
Arietid meteors stream out of the constellation Aries.<\/p>
Their source is unknown, but some astronomers suspect they come from the sungrazing asteroid Icarus, the meteoroids hitting Earth\u2019s atmosphere with a velocity of 39km\/s.\u00a0<\/p>
Zeta Perseids<\/strong><\/h3>Another annual daytime meteor shower around the same time is the Zeta Perseids, which occur between 20 May and 5 July.<\/p>
Maximum rates are on 9 June.<\/p>
This meteor shower is one of the strongest of the year, with a maximum rate of 50-80 per hour.<\/p>
Beta Taurids<\/strong><\/h3>The Beta Taurids is a third daylight shower, which is active between 5 June and 17 July.<\/p>
It exhibits a relatively flat maximum each year around 28 June.<\/p>
Beta Taurid meteors come from the same meteoroid stream as the Taurid meteor shower.<\/p>![\"Geminid](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-899971840-1024x683.jpg?fit=800%2C534\")
Geminid meteor over ham radio satellite antenna. Credit: David Hoffmann Photography \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>Listening to the Perseid Meteor Shower via FM radio<\/strong><\/h2>Despite not producing peak rates as high as those of the Geminid meteor shower<\/a>, the Perseid meteor Shower<\/a> remains the favourite for many.<\/p>Besides being rich in bright meteors, it also occurs during summer in the northern hemisphere, whereas other similarly productive meteor showers, such as the Geminids, take place in the cold nights of December.\u00a0<\/p>
The highest observed rates on any given night are likely to be seen when the radiant is highest in the sky late at night.<\/p>
In some years, when the Earth encounters dust trails from old returns of the Perseids\u2019 parent Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle, there can be more than one Perseid peak. <\/p>![\"Comet](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2020\/07\/Comet-Swift-Tuttle-ed3f99b.png\")
Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle\u2019s elliptical orbit takes it out beyond Neptune. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>The Perseids peak on the night of 13\/14 August for UK observers.<\/p>
Radio observations are better overnight when human activity is low.<\/p>
Also, the number of detectable meteors increases after midnight when Earth\u2019s leading edge travels into the stream of sporadic or shower meteors.<\/p>
These meteors tend to enter the atmosphere at a greater speed because of Earth\u2019s velocity through space of 29.8km\/s.<\/p>
This higher energy translates into higher levels of ionisation.<\/p>
As a result, many radio meteor observers conduct their observations between midnight and 7am.<\/p>
Step-by-step<\/strong><\/h2>
How many meteors will you hear on the radio?<\/strong><\/h2>While the number of signals you hear through your FM radio will depend on what equipment you have, the advantage of listening to meteors is that you can hear ones that are too faint to see.<\/p>
With the naked eye you can see the arrival of a particle as small as 1\/100th of a gram on a dark night, but dust grains much smaller than this can be detected using radio observation.<\/p>
In order to do so, however, you have to approach meteor showers differently, as you\u2019ll need to know the date of peak activity, which you can find in our guide to the next meteor shower<\/a>.<\/p>Listening to daytime meteor showers<\/strong><\/h2>There are also daytime meteor showers that can be observed only by radio because the radiant is close to the Sun.<\/p>
Arietids<\/strong><\/h3>The Arietids last from late May until early July each year and peak on 8 June. <\/p>
Arietid meteors stream out of the constellation Aries.<\/p>
Their source is unknown, but some astronomers suspect they come from the sungrazing asteroid Icarus, the meteoroids hitting Earth\u2019s atmosphere with a velocity of 39km\/s.\u00a0<\/p>
Zeta Perseids<\/strong><\/h3>Another annual daytime meteor shower around the same time is the Zeta Perseids, which occur between 20 May and 5 July.<\/p>
Maximum rates are on 9 June.<\/p>
This meteor shower is one of the strongest of the year, with a maximum rate of 50-80 per hour.<\/p>
Beta Taurids<\/strong><\/h3>The Beta Taurids is a third daylight shower, which is active between 5 June and 17 July.<\/p>
It exhibits a relatively flat maximum each year around 28 June.<\/p>
Beta Taurid meteors come from the same meteoroid stream as the Taurid meteor shower.<\/p>Geminid meteor over ham radio satellite antenna. Credit: David Hoffmann Photography \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>Listening to the Perseid Meteor Shower via FM radio<\/strong><\/h2>Despite not producing peak rates as high as those of the Geminid meteor shower<\/a>, the Perseid meteor Shower<\/a> remains the favourite for many.<\/p>Besides being rich in bright meteors, it also occurs during summer in the northern hemisphere, whereas other similarly productive meteor showers, such as the Geminids, take place in the cold nights of December.\u00a0<\/p>
The highest observed rates on any given night are likely to be seen when the radiant is highest in the sky late at night.<\/p>
In some years, when the Earth encounters dust trails from old returns of the Perseids\u2019 parent Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle, there can be more than one Perseid peak. <\/p>Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle\u2019s elliptical orbit takes it out beyond Neptune. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>The Perseids peak on the night of 13\/14 August for UK observers.<\/p>
Radio observations are better overnight when human activity is low.<\/p>
Also, the number of detectable meteors increases after midnight when Earth\u2019s leading edge travels into the stream of sporadic or shower meteors.<\/p>
These meteors tend to enter the atmosphere at a greater speed because of Earth\u2019s velocity through space of 29.8km\/s.<\/p>
This higher energy translates into higher levels of ionisation.<\/p>
As a result, many radio meteor observers conduct their observations between midnight and 7am.<\/p>
Step-by-step<\/strong><\/h2>
Listening to daytime meteor showers<\/strong><\/h2>There are also daytime meteor showers that can be observed only by radio because the radiant is close to the Sun.<\/p>
Arietids<\/strong><\/h3>The Arietids last from late May until early July each year and peak on 8 June. <\/p>
Arietid meteors stream out of the constellation Aries.<\/p>
Their source is unknown, but some astronomers suspect they come from the sungrazing asteroid Icarus, the meteoroids hitting Earth\u2019s atmosphere with a velocity of 39km\/s.\u00a0<\/p>
Zeta Perseids<\/strong><\/h3>Another annual daytime meteor shower around the same time is the Zeta Perseids, which occur between 20 May and 5 July.<\/p>
Maximum rates are on 9 June.<\/p>
This meteor shower is one of the strongest of the year, with a maximum rate of 50-80 per hour.<\/p>
Beta Taurids<\/strong><\/h3>The Beta Taurids is a third daylight shower, which is active between 5 June and 17 July.<\/p>
It exhibits a relatively flat maximum each year around 28 June.<\/p>
Beta Taurid meteors come from the same meteoroid stream as the Taurid meteor shower.<\/p>Geminid meteor over ham radio satellite antenna. Credit: David Hoffmann Photography \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>Listening to the Perseid Meteor Shower via FM radio<\/strong><\/h2>Despite not producing peak rates as high as those of the Geminid meteor shower<\/a>, the Perseid meteor Shower<\/a> remains the favourite for many.<\/p>Besides being rich in bright meteors, it also occurs during summer in the northern hemisphere, whereas other similarly productive meteor showers, such as the Geminids, take place in the cold nights of December.\u00a0<\/p>
The highest observed rates on any given night are likely to be seen when the radiant is highest in the sky late at night.<\/p>
In some years, when the Earth encounters dust trails from old returns of the Perseids\u2019 parent Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle, there can be more than one Perseid peak. <\/p>Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle\u2019s elliptical orbit takes it out beyond Neptune. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>The Perseids peak on the night of 13\/14 August for UK observers.<\/p>
Radio observations are better overnight when human activity is low.<\/p>
Also, the number of detectable meteors increases after midnight when Earth\u2019s leading edge travels into the stream of sporadic or shower meteors.<\/p>
These meteors tend to enter the atmosphere at a greater speed because of Earth\u2019s velocity through space of 29.8km\/s.<\/p>
This higher energy translates into higher levels of ionisation.<\/p>
As a result, many radio meteor observers conduct their observations between midnight and 7am.<\/p>
Step-by-step<\/strong><\/h2>
The Arietids last from late May until early July each year and peak on 8 June. <\/p>
Arietid meteors stream out of the constellation Aries.<\/p>
Their source is unknown, but some astronomers suspect they come from the sungrazing asteroid Icarus, the meteoroids hitting Earth\u2019s atmosphere with a velocity of 39km\/s.\u00a0<\/p>
Zeta Perseids<\/strong><\/h3>Another annual daytime meteor shower around the same time is the Zeta Perseids, which occur between 20 May and 5 July.<\/p>
Maximum rates are on 9 June.<\/p>
This meteor shower is one of the strongest of the year, with a maximum rate of 50-80 per hour.<\/p>
Beta Taurids<\/strong><\/h3>The Beta Taurids is a third daylight shower, which is active between 5 June and 17 July.<\/p>
It exhibits a relatively flat maximum each year around 28 June.<\/p>
Beta Taurid meteors come from the same meteoroid stream as the Taurid meteor shower.<\/p>Geminid meteor over ham radio satellite antenna. Credit: David Hoffmann Photography \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>Listening to the Perseid Meteor Shower via FM radio<\/strong><\/h2>Despite not producing peak rates as high as those of the Geminid meteor shower<\/a>, the Perseid meteor Shower<\/a> remains the favourite for many.<\/p>Besides being rich in bright meteors, it also occurs during summer in the northern hemisphere, whereas other similarly productive meteor showers, such as the Geminids, take place in the cold nights of December.\u00a0<\/p>
The highest observed rates on any given night are likely to be seen when the radiant is highest in the sky late at night.<\/p>
In some years, when the Earth encounters dust trails from old returns of the Perseids\u2019 parent Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle, there can be more than one Perseid peak. <\/p>Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle\u2019s elliptical orbit takes it out beyond Neptune. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>The Perseids peak on the night of 13\/14 August for UK observers.<\/p>
Radio observations are better overnight when human activity is low.<\/p>
Also, the number of detectable meteors increases after midnight when Earth\u2019s leading edge travels into the stream of sporadic or shower meteors.<\/p>
These meteors tend to enter the atmosphere at a greater speed because of Earth\u2019s velocity through space of 29.8km\/s.<\/p>
This higher energy translates into higher levels of ionisation.<\/p>
As a result, many radio meteor observers conduct their observations between midnight and 7am.<\/p>
Step-by-step<\/strong><\/h2>
The Beta Taurids is a third daylight shower, which is active between 5 June and 17 July.<\/p>
It exhibits a relatively flat maximum each year around 28 June.<\/p>
Beta Taurid meteors come from the same meteoroid stream as the Taurid meteor shower.<\/p> Despite not producing peak rates as high as those of the Geminid meteor shower<\/a>, the Perseid meteor Shower<\/a> remains the favourite for many.<\/p> Besides being rich in bright meteors, it also occurs during summer in the northern hemisphere, whereas other similarly productive meteor showers, such as the Geminids, take place in the cold nights of December.\u00a0<\/p> The highest observed rates on any given night are likely to be seen when the radiant is highest in the sky late at night.<\/p> In some years, when the Earth encounters dust trails from old returns of the Perseids\u2019 parent Comet 109P\/Swift-Tuttle, there can be more than one Perseid peak. <\/p> The Perseids peak on the night of 13\/14 August for UK observers.<\/p> Radio observations are better overnight when human activity is low.<\/p> Also, the number of detectable meteors increases after midnight when Earth\u2019s leading edge travels into the stream of sporadic or shower meteors.<\/p> These meteors tend to enter the atmosphere at a greater speed because of Earth\u2019s velocity through space of 29.8km\/s.<\/p> This higher energy translates into higher levels of ionisation.<\/p> As a result, many radio meteor observers conduct their observations between midnight and 7am.<\/p>Listening to the Perseid Meteor Shower via FM radio<\/strong><\/h2>
Step-by-step<\/strong><\/h2>
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