Meteor Shower Calendar 2008 available

The Meteor Shower Calendar 2008 is now available on the web. The meteor year ahead starts well for the stronger showers, with moonless maxima for the Quadrantids, α-Centaurids, η-Aquarids and δ-Aquarids, but things go somewhat awry in August with the Perseids peaking near full Moon, while the Orionids in October, the Leonids in November and the Geminids in December are even worse-placed. However, the Draconid epoch should still be partly observable, while the late October to early November spell, which may bring another 'swarm' enhancement from the Taurids, is Moon- free, as too is the Ursid peak towards year's end. There are minor showers to be monitored as well, and ideally, meteor observing should be carried out throughout the year to check on all the established sources, and for any new ones. We appreciate this is impractical for most people, so the Shower Calendar has been helping to highlight times when a particular effort might most usefully be employed since 1991.