The Aurigids

BEST TIME TO SEE: 31 August, 22:00–23:00 BST (21:00–22:00 UT)

Although the Perseid shower steals the limelight, there are many lower rate showers active at this time of year too. Active between 28 August and 5 September, the low-rate Aurigid shower has produced interesting activity outbursts in the past.

On 31 August between 22:17–22:35 BST (21:17–21:35 UT) an alert has been issued for possible enhanced Aurigid activity. Typically exhibiting a ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) of 6 meteors per hour, this might rise to between 50–100 meteors per hour. Bear in mind that the window of enhanced activity is short and a visual hourly rate is often lower than the quoted ZHR. Even so, a few recorded trails from the shower will make valuable observational evidence that the enhanced activity actually took place.

During the enhancement window the Moon will be a 35%-lit waning crescent and won’t rise until 23:44 BST (22:44 UT). The radiant is located in the constellation of Auriga, the Charioteer, close to mag. +2.6 Theta (θ) Aurigae. Unfortunately, this will be low at 22:17 BST (21:17 UT), barely scraping the northern horizon. This will have an adverse effect on the number of trails seen, reducing the visual rate.