Perseid Meteor Shower

clover green · #26 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James M

It's the Perseids on Sunday and it looks like it could be a good one as there is no moon. It's something I look forward to every year, last year I saw 20 and that was with lots of light pollution.

I am going to give it a go tonight, hope to see something!! But, I do live in a area with a fair bit of light pollution. Still, with the use of my binoculars I hope to witness something special? fingers crossed.

Carole McC · #27 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 02:56 PM

As everything happens so quickly, I find it is far better to just watch without binoculars.
It is very cloudy here today, but I shall still go out on to the heath land late tonight, away from all sources of immediate light, and watch the heavens. Tonight should be great.

clover green · #28 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 03:15 PM

Thanks for the tip!

Jez · #29 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 07:55 PM

If you say east is the best direction for seeing shooters then i'm going to have to find a good spot as i can't see that way from my house. Will call on my neighbour, we'd both enjoy it!

jennyb · #30 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 09:15 PM

Great display tonight here in Berkshire. Glorious clears skies, lots of planes landing and taking off at Heathrow but also some fantastic shooting stars - really big, bright and fast.

Can't stay out any longer otherwise I'll get a stiff neck!

Jenny

Mr Mag00 · #31 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 09:28 PM

just popped out to watch and saw the shuttle/iss pass over head too wow!!
next pass about 1138pm in the poole area

paulchandler6 · #32 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 09:33 PM

Just had 4 shooters in the last 10 mins, will go out later after the footie and hope to see some more. Cheers

Fourwings · #33 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 09:37 PM

Have just been outside for ten minutes and have seen 4 meteors

Two of them were quite long and bright, I'd love to have stayed out longer but seeing as I haven't been to bed since Friday night that may not be such a good idea!!

Owl-Light · #34 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 09:45 PM

We're heading down the park right now

wilddawn · #35 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 10:01 PM

We've got a lot of cloud here at the moment, looked at the met office website and it should clear about 3am, I'm hoping it clears a bit earlier. We're going for a drive into the hills now away from the lights. Fingers crossed.

Digiscoper62 · #36 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 10:11 PM

Thought I would go out for a keek, pouring rain again

Duke of York · #37 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 10:36 PM

We went outside about 10pm and the sky was clear but unfortunately didn't see any meteors but did see what looked like 2 satellites (bright lights moving quite fast across the sky).

One did seem brighter than the other and we did wonder if it was the ISS/shuttle

Carole McC · #38 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 10:37 PM

I've seen lots tonight in The Forest area. Must have just missed the Shuttle.It's a beautiful almost-clear sky. I fell into a ditch though on the way home. :~(

Dan Salter · #39 (**permalink**) 12-08-2007, 10:46 PM

My astronomer friend told me to go watch the space station at 10:03pm?...at which time i saw what was like a normal satellite but much brighter and larger move steadily from west to east with no sound?...no flashing lights either? then it faded to orange and vanished..i havent been able to reach him online yet but im pretty sure it was the space station?...heading out again at 12:30 which he says is best time in south east for the meteors.

Dan.
Didnt get to eat my spag bol till 10:30 because of all this stargazing plus i missed most of MOUNTAIN and WAINWRIGHTS WALKS...

wilddawn · #40 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 12:08 AM

We're back and I couldn't see anything, just too cloudy. My other half and a few of the other stargazers stood nearby did see one through a break in the clouds, unfortunately my 3 year old had picked that moment to ask me a question so I missed it

It was quite funny though, she thought that when I said "shooting stars" I meant we'd see Darth Vader fighting!!! lol

Dan Salter · #41 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 12:34 AM

Yes im back in after doing an hour 12:30 - 1:30...saw ten..including one large one then got neck ache and a cold head.

Wasnt quite the two or three meteors a minute as reported...

cloud was scattered at 12:30 but had gone by 12:45 luckily.

Paul Iddon · #42 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 12:43 AM

I saw just one over Preston, Lancs. Too cloudy here.

wilddawn · #43 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 02:31 AM

Finally, I just saw one over North Manchester, still quite cloudy but at least I now know we can see them from the back garden (if the cloud clears). Fingers crossed for tomorrow night

Freia · #44 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 02:35 AM

Been out for the last hour and a half and counted 26 meteors. Freezing cold now, and my neck really aches! Brilliant clear sky after cloudy skies early in the evening.

Jay77 · #45 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 06:28 AM

The sky in north Staffs last night was virtually clear at 10.30 p.m. but very cloudy by 11.00. I saw just one meteor before the cloud closed in and I gave up and went to bed. But like one of the earlier posters, I too heard quite a few owls, one in particular sounded very close, so it was still a good evening.

Billy Wobble Dagger · #46 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 07:45 AM

We spent an hour watching again last night, a clear sky with plenty of stars. Between the two of us we must have seen about 20 shooting stars. Plus I’m guessing the shuttle. It was much brighter than the normal satellites we see. Some of the shooting stars almost staining the night sky there tails were so bright. Brilliant to watch.
No sore necks with us, the pleasure of having reclining garden chairs, although having a three year old black lab lying on top off you tends to hinder the view

BWD

paulchandler6 · #47 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 08:15 AM

Went out in the garden around 11:30 to just after midnight and had another 20.......pretty good, with some really bright ones. Cheers

Madelinew · #48 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 08:44 AM

Lay out on my sunlounger for a couple of hours last night wrapped in a sleeping bag. It was so cosy I didn't want to go indoors and seriously debated with myself as to whether or not I'd stay there for the night. Saw quite a few and they were spectacular. My 12 yo son was with me and he's still excited about it this morning.

Question tho

I saw a few pin pricks of light moving slowly across the entire sky without fading. Are these satellites?

Madelinew · #49 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 08:48 AM

And how do I spot the space shuttle?

clicka15 · #50 (**permalink**) 13-08-2007, 08:51 AM

Dear Meteorists,

I spent an hour in my back garden last night between 10.30 and 11.30 and saw seven yellowish Perseids, several flashes and flickers (which I assume were short-lived Perseids), four satellites making their steady way across the sky from south to north, and a bat hunting for moths (it was larger than a Pipistrelle, but I have no idea which species it was).

It was perfect viewing conditions for a change.

Best wishes,

Steve.

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