Observation of meteors throws light on our understanding of the motion of the celestial bodies in our Solar System, physical properties of the Earth’s upper atmosphere and the spatial distribution of meteoroids (which helps choosing safe and proper trajectories for launch vehicles such as artificial satellites). Fortunately, observation of meteors is relatively easy. Even without the aid of telescopes, amateur astronomers can still collect data with significant scientific value.

Results of observations may be recorded in a standard form and sent to the Hong Kong Astronomical Society. The data will be compiled and processed before being submitted to the International Meteors Organization, Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing, China for further analyses.

Address: Hong Kong Astronomical Society, GPO Box 2872, (Attn: Meteor Shower Section)

Put down the name of the observer, the place and time of observation, duration of observation, cloud cover, the sky's limiting magnitude (the magnitude of the faintest star you can see with the naked eye) and the number of meteors observed on the data sheet.

Are you interested in this meaningful observation activity?