How much sky do we see at any one moment?

Question

When we look at any particular point the sky, what percentage of the celestial sphere do we see? This question arises from the notion that on average there passes one meteor per hour overhead. So assuming that one were to stare in one direction for one hour and during that hour exactly one meteor appears, what are the changes of the viewer having seen it?

Answer 1

The amount of sky that you see is based on your proximity to the sky and field of vision. For example, the closer you are to the sky, the less (area wise). Contrarily, the closer you are to the sky, the better you can see it. Assuming that the meteor passes directly overhead, you could estimate the total sky directly above you as 100% of the sky overhead. Then, using your peripheral vision diameter, you could estimate the area of the sky visible to you. This would provide a proxy for your vision. Over the course of an hour, if you stared at exactly the same spot, without blinking, you would have that percent chance of seeing the meteor.