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Old 10-08-2007, 04:03 PM
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Perseid Meteor Shower

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.
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Old 10-08-2007, 04:42 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Quote:
Originally Posted by James M View Post
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.
Complete ignorant here - What is it, do I need a telescope and what would I see?
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Old 10-08-2007, 05:24 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Hi, well I'm rubbish at explanations so I will leave that to good old wikipedia

Meteor shower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Perseids - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and here are two article that I found on the Perseids this year:

This year's meteor shower - Times Online


NASA - Great Perseids
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Old 10-08-2007, 05:31 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

I think we (the earth) run through the tail of a comet and meteors are the debris pulled in by the earths gravity 12 08 07 is a new moon so you should be able to see the shower
quite well with binos
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Old 10-08-2007, 05:36 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Thanks for the info and the links James. Sounds interesting, although, living in the centre of Reading I may have to travel a bit further out to see it!
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Old 10-08-2007, 05:37 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Quote:
Originally Posted by James M View Post
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've spotted the odd "shooting star" in the East over the last few evenings. Could that be part or the start of it?

I love watching the night sky, but only with the naked eye, watching the satellites wizz over. I think Venus is low in the early evening sky again, such mystery

Looking forward to the next few nights now, thanks for the heads up.


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Old 10-08-2007, 06:19 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger View Post
I've spotted the odd "shooting star" in the East over the last few evenings. Could that be part or the start of it?

I love watching the night sky, but only with the naked eye, watching the satellites wizz over. I think Venus is low in the early evening sky again, such mystery

Looking forward to the next few nights now, thanks for the heads up.


BWD

Yeah it could be as they can be seen from 25 Jul (albeit very few and far between) slowly increasing to the peak on the 12th and then can be seen but decreasing each night until the 18th. This is according to my book Guide to Stars and Planets by Patrick Moore anyway.
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Old 10-08-2007, 09:06 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Drat.

I've just gone outside, keen to pick up a few 'shooters' and guess what...? The flawless blue sky of the afternoon is now a mass of cloud!
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Old 11-08-2007, 12:33 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Just been out in the garden for the last 30 mins and had 3 "shooters". 1 being quite bright and lasting about 3 seconds.
Also 2 Hedgehogs, 1 bat (Pipistrelle) and several moths. Cheers
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Old 11-08-2007, 08:52 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

We spent a magical hour in the garden last night and saw 8 shooting stars, one very bright and long. Will do the same tonight and tomorrow night.

I've changed my mind on what I thought might have been Venus. It didn't seem to be as orange as I remember. It just looked like a very bright star low in the south. Silly question could it have been the space shuttle? I've never seen such a bright star in that location before.

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Old 11-08-2007, 09:26 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Are these in any particular direction, east, north etc? Or are they in any part of the night sky?
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Old 11-08-2007, 01:03 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

I think you can see them in any part of the sky but they will be coming from where Perseus is in the NE.

The BBC have put out an article now.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Stargazers set sights on meteors
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Old 11-08-2007, 01:06 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Been looking at the weather forecasts and it doesn't too good if your in the NW part of the country but hopefully things will change.
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Old 11-08-2007, 02:45 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Looking forward to Sunday night. We live in Scotland, out in the middle of nowhere, so light pollution isn't a problem. All we need now are clear skies...
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Old 11-08-2007, 09:07 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

I saw 2 meteors within moments on Thursday night. One of the meteors seemed quite red-honestly. And a bit wiggly. What does that mean??
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Old 11-08-2007, 09:45 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Just been outside. Saw a couple of ones crawling across the sky. One in particular grew brighter then appeared to flare and then fade until it disappeared in front of Cassiopoeia.

Not many shooters, though.
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Old 11-08-2007, 10:00 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

In the short time that I have spent outside tonight, I have seen only one. But it was accompanied by the call of a nearby owl. Wonderful.

Carole
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Old 11-08-2007, 10:08 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

You`re very lucky, there is too much light where I live,I have tried looking for the past two nights, but cant see anything
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Old 11-08-2007, 10:17 PM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

I was away from home last night, and encouraged two elderly friends to stand outside with me at 11.30pm, to look for meteors. We saw none! A small group of us are walking out of my village tomorrow evening, into the open forest, in the hope of seeing lots. Must wrap up though. It's chilly tonight.
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Old 12-08-2007, 07:32 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

It turns out I have to go to Scotland today and the weather forecast is worse there, so it looks like I will be missing it this year.
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Old 12-08-2007, 07:42 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger View Post
We spent a magical hour in the garden last night and saw 8 shooting stars, one very bright and long. Will do the same tonight and tomorrow night.

I've changed my mind on what I thought might have been Venus. It didn't seem to be as orange as I remember. It just looked like a very bright star low in the south. Silly question could it have been the space shuttle? I've never seen such a bright star in that location before.

BWD
This low bright light you can see is most probably Jupiter, being one of the only planets visible during the first half of the night at the moment. The ISS and shuttle are docked at the moment, go-to: SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids for more info.

D.
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Old 12-08-2007, 08:03 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

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Originally Posted by Trent900 View Post
This low bright light you can see is most probably Jupiter, being one of the only planets visible during the first half of the night at the moment. The ISS and shuttle are docked at the moment, go-to: SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids for more info.

D.
Thanks for the link and the Jupitar pointer.

BWD
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Old 12-08-2007, 08:10 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

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Originally Posted by agrumpycow View Post
Are these in any particular direction, east, north etc? Or are they in any part of the night sky?
UP might be good.
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Old 12-08-2007, 08:25 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Apart from up, North east or put it another way, directly opposite the new moon.
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Old 12-08-2007, 09:38 AM
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Re: Perseid Meteor Shower

Quote:
Originally Posted by Interpreter View Post
UP might be good.
doh
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