Meade's mySky can help identify the comets, meteors, planets and more with a database of over 30,000 objects to help the stargazer learn the night sky!

Woodland Hills Telescopes has great telescopes and great prices!

Woodland Hills Telescopes has CCD Cameras by Image Source.

Bushnell has a line of binoculars that the stargazer will love for viewing meteor showers!

Woodland Hills Telescopes has a Redbeam light that the stargazer will love to use while looking at star charts!

Meteors are an interesting and fun way to learn about the night sky and it doesn't take much equipment to view meteors. Meteors are also known as meteor storms or also as meteor outburst, which is a celestial event in which meteors seem to "fly" from one point in the sky.

Meteors are formed by cosmic debris entering into the Earth's atmosphere at an extremely high speed. The meteors then vaporize due the friction with the air, which leaves a streak of light that quickly disappears. The fragments of meteors are smaller than a grain of sand. The fragments will disintegrate and will never hit the Earth's surface. But the fragments that do land on the Earth's surface are known as Meteorites. Meteor showers are caused by a comet and the Earth colliding. When the debris streams from behind the comet, which forms the comet's tail, the solid pieces will form meteors. A meteoroid shower can be caused by dense meteor stream and then a meteor shower will streak through the night sky.

Meteors are mostly white and yellow and while the colors can depend on how hot they get, but extremely bright meteors can glow blue or white.

What are shooting stars?

"Shooting stars" and "falling stars" are terms used to describe meteors -- intense streaks of light across the night sky caused by small bits of rock and debris called meteoroids that crash and burn high up in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The meteors travel at a high speed of rate and the meteoroids will quickly ignite. Few meteors will appear, but when they do appear, they shoot quickly across the sky and the meteors look like falling stars.

How does a stargazer know when the sky is dark enough for meteor viewing?

Once the stars of the Little Dipper can be seen, then the stargazer's vision has adapted enough to the dark night sky and the stargazer should be able to see plenty of meteors streaking through the night sky.

How can a stargazer best view a meteor shower?

The best way to see meteor showers are to be away from the city lights and light pollution. Look towards the constellation in which the meteors will appear to radiate from. Once the stargazer has left the city lights and glow then find a dark spot where a car's headlights will not ruin the stargazer's night vision and then relax and watch the night sky for falling stars. The next meteor shower is the Lyrids the night of April 21/22 2008.

What should a stargazer bring for meteor watching?

Bring a comfortable chair or a blanket, plus a red-filtered flashlight for reading maps and charts. Binoculars are not necessary, but they can help the stargazer see the meteors better.