Shooting Stars

[paulchandler6]

The last few nights I've seen a few shooters coming out of the northern sky. Are they just random or part of another swarm? Cheers

[jdurbo]

Originally Posted by paulchandler6

The last few nights I've seen a few shooters coming out of the northern sky. Are they just random or part of another swarm? Cheers

My husband said he saw some a couple of nights ago!!!

jen xxx

[sandi59]

I know nothing about astronomy or shooting stars but what I saw this morning amazed me. I was returning from a night shift to my home near Fareham, Hampshire when quite low in the sky in front of me I saw what I can only think is a shooting star. It seemed so near and so low that for the second that I saw it I thought it was a meteor about to hit the earth, indeed I flinched at the wheel and nearly drove into a parked car. It had an obvious larger bright head with a long trailing tail and disappeared before it seemed to come to earth. This was about 6:15 or 6:20 am. I remember seeing a shooting star as a child and once as a young adult. These were on very dark clear nights and seemed much higher in the air and I can't remember them having a head and tail, just a long white bright light that shot high across the night sky. The one I saw this morning was amazing and I just had to come on a site to tell someone it was so exciting. Perhaps I'm easily pleased!! Sandi

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by sandi59

I know nothing about astronomy or shooting stars but what I saw this morning amazed me. I was returning from a night shift to my home near Fareham, Hampshire when quite low in the sky in front of me I saw what I can only think is a shooting star. It seemed so near and so low that for the second that I saw it I thought it was a meteor about to hit the earth, indeed I flinched at the wheel and nearly drove into a parked car. It had an obvious larger bright head with a long trailing tail and disappeared before it seemed to come to earth. This was about 6:15 or 6:20 am. I remember seeing a shooting star as a child and once as a young adult. These were on very dark clear nights and seemed much higher in the air and I can't remember them having a head and tail, just a long white bright light that shot high across the night sky. The one I saw this morning was amazing and I just had to come on a site to tell someone it was so exciting. Perhaps I'm easily pleased!! Sandi

That sounds great Sandi!
I remember seeing my bright shooting stars like it were yesterday.
I used to be a baker, and during my coffee and cigarette breaks (which I always took outside), I'd learn about the stars and watch shooting stars. The most amazing one I ever saw lit up the whole sky (a bit like a firework), and had a green head and an orange tail. Wonderful.

Regarding the recent shooting stars people have seen. I'm pretty sure they're just random. There are pretty well shooting stars in the night sky every night after all - you just have to look for them and or be lucky!

Next shooting star shower: The Orionids. (seem to come from Orion) 16th-27th october, peaking on the night of the 22nd. The great thing about THIS shower, is chances are each meteorite you see which is part of the Orionids, will be a particle of ice from the tail of Halleys comet! Its mindblowing when you think of it really...!

Doug

[carlos_dfc]

There is a minor 'shower' ongoing at the moment.

The 'Draconids' are a long-lasting shower that occurs throughout early October, peaking on the 8th. Even at peak though, they don't often yield a lot of meteors, although there have been a couple of spectacular outbursts recorded in the past.
The particle trail that causes the shower was left behind by comet Giacobini-Zinner - so they are also sometimes known as the 'Giacobinids'

The radiant is in the constellation 'Draco' (hence the name 'Draconinds') which is high to the North/North-West. Meteors don't appear AT the radiant - they appear to be heading AWAY from it - so any meteors seen in early October, heading away from that part of the sky, are probably Draconids

[paulchandler6]

Thanks for the info Carlos. Will keep an eye out for them, if I get a clear night.

Paul

[sandi59]

Thanks for your information guys, I will now keep a more careful look out. Sandi