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How to Report Sightings of Shooting Stars

Shooting stars aren't really stars at all. They start out as bits of dirt, dust and ice. As they float around the galaxy they are called meteoroids. When these meteoroids are pulled into the Earth's gravitational force, they fall. Falling meteoroids are called meteors and can leave a trail of burning debris. Most burn up completely in the atmosphere. If any debris survives the piece is called a meteorite. No one is required to report a meteor, but there are organizations that appreciate the data.

Things You'll Need

watch or clock
protractor
GPS - optional

Instructions

How to Report a Shooting Star
- 1
  Check the time as soon as you realize you have seen a shooting star. It is important to time the event as accurately as possible. This helps the Meteor Society determine if one meteor was seen by several people, or if there were several meteors in the area.
- 2
  Write down the specifics of the meteor. How long was the tail? What color was it? Did the star fizzle out or disappear in a flash of light? All of this information helps the Meteor Society determine the type of meteor you saw.
- 3
  Orient yourself. If you have a GPS, write down the exact coordinates. Otherwise, use landmarks, such as "at the corner of Hwy 70 and Brown's Rd."
- 4
  Write down the location in the sky where the meteor started to blaze. Determine the direction (north, south, east or west) from your location. Use a simple plastic protractor to estimate its angle above the horizon. Simply hold the plastic protractor up and line up the straight edge at the bottom with the ground. Note the meteor's start and end on the protractor and write down those angles.
- 5
  Scan the skies for any other meteors. Sometimes meteors travel in bunches. This happens when a larger meteor breaks apart near the Earth and the pieces hit the atmosphere at different times.
- 6
  Enter the data in the American Meteor Society's reporting form on their website.

Astronomy