I Moon phase ruins my Stargazing!

AI Thread Summary
The Geminids meteor shower this year was significantly affected by the moon's brightness, with 95.9% illumination leading to fewer visible meteors compared to previous years. To improve stargazing experiences, finding dark sky locations and blocking the moon's light with objects can enhance night vision. Observers are encouraged to check lunar calendars and plan stargazing for nights with less moonlight. Additionally, considering different meteor showers may yield better results. Overall, adapting strategies can help mitigate the impact of moon phases on stargazing.
sufiyan
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
TL;DR Summary
I was out a few days ago to watch a meteor shower and i noticed that there were less meteors visible in the night sky as compared to last year! Because this year the moon phase was bright!
This experience of mine is based on the Geminids meteor shower this year because during the Geminids this year the moon was 95.9% illuminated! How can I deal with this issue when stargazing next time?

Moon phase data from:
[Spam link redacted by the Mentors]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
sufiyan said:
TL;DR Summary: I was out a few days ago to watch a meteor shower and i noticed that there were less meteors visible in the night sky as compared to last year! Because this year the moon phase was bright!
Meteor showers vary from year to year. You might have seen fewer because of the Moon, or you might have seen fewer because there were fewer to see.

sufiyan said:
This experience of mine is based on the Geminids meteor shower this year because during the Geminids this year the moon was 95.9% illuminated! How can I deal with this issue when stargazing next time?

Moon phase data from:
[Spam link redacted by the Mentors]
Not much you can do about moving the Moon to a more convenient place.

What can help is:
These will improve your night vision.
 
  • Like
Likes sophiecentaur and russ_watters
DaveC426913 said:
Not much you can do about moving the Moon to a more convenient place.
Maybe Archimedes can help?
 
  • Like
Likes DaveC426913
sufiyan said:
Because this year the moon phase was bright!
I live in Houston. It seems to me that in Houston, every interesting astronomical event is inevitably obscured by clouds.
 
It's kind of your own fault because the moon wouldn't be there if you weren't looking.
 
  • Haha
Likes DaveC426913
D H said:
I live in Houston.
Sorry but you can expect very little sympathy from me or most other people. There are very few parts of the world that would suit amateur astronomy. There are many tricks of the trade to help astronomers but meteors are very short lived so you have to be out there for hours before you can be sure of a good view.
As far as the Moon is concerned, you have to treat it as a cup half full and not a cup half empty; it is one of the most fantastic sights in the sky, even with the unaided eye. It's a consolation prize.

PS Never stop trying.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I've noticed that too when the moon's bright. Maybe try checking the lunar calendar and plan your stargazing for nights when the moon's a lot less visible? Or find a spot with less light pollution. Not sure if those will really help much, though. Could also just pick a different meteor shower to watch next time.
 

Similar threads

Replies
25
Views
2K
Replies
30
Views
4K
Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
5K
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
32
Views
10K
Back
Top