Geminids - more 'fireballs'?

[Tazni]

Cloud cover where I am unfortunatly.... Not much I can do about it but I am glad I saw some last night

[paulchandler6]

Yeah, cloudy here last nite, but looks as though we will have a clear nite tonite.

Paul

[shirl]

Thought we might stand a chance here in Derbyshire last night, started off clear but by mid evening, the fog was back! Oh well, there is always next year, can't do much about the weather

[Tazni]

There will still be some shooting stars now won't there? Because the sky is rather clear...

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Tazni

There will still be some shooting stars now won't there? Because the sky is rather clear...

Well you've certainly missed the peak of the Geminids - but there'll be a rogue one or two if you're very fortunate indeed.
That said, there are shooting stars most nights (but just not in the annual showers), and you'll see one or two anywhere, IF you are prepared to spend some time outside!?

Good luck!
Doug

[paulchandler6]

Had a few last nite, including a really good one that lasted for 6 seconds. The longest I've seen one. I guess its down to size and the bigger they are the longer it takes to burn up?

Paul

[petermcgain]

I was up at 5.45 this morning and while looking at Venus a meteor zipped by just above Venus. And that was quickly followed by a satellite! By the time I got my bins out the satellite had gone, but it was a great moment. Arcturus was looking very bright too. Is it really 30 times the size of our sun?

[zarney]

unfortunatly it was cloudy where I am and I was unable to see any.

I think the geminids come from a rocky asteroid or an old comet covered in debris it acts a little like a coment but instead of gas being lost it looses some of its rocky/dusty parts.
The particles being larger and denser than comet dust produce a more "fireball" like apperance.

[James M]

There's one in January isn't there? the Quadrantids?

[carlos_dfc]

Originally Posted by petermcgain

Arcturus was looking very bright too. Is it really 30 times the size of our sun?

Take a look at this video - Arcturus gets a mention - in fact, compared to some stars, it's just a 'baby'
YouTube - Star Scale of the Universe Astronomy Amazing
The one at the end (VV Cephei) is something like 750-800 million miles in diameter (around 8 astronomical units)
By comparison, the Sun is less than a million mles across (875,000 miles), the earth is 1au from the Sun (93 million miles), Mars is about 1.5au, Jupiter a little over 5au, Saturn about 10au

[carlos_dfc]

Originally Posted by James M

There's one in January isn't there? the Quadrantids?

Yep peak is Jan 3rd
Not as active as the better known showers, but worth a look.

Radiant is in Bootes (Used to be in a - now defunct - small constellation called 'Quadrans Muralis' (hence the name 'Quadrantids') which is now the 'upper' part of Bootes and also part of Draco
Low to the NNE around 9-10pm - climbing to medium-height in the NE by around midnight.

This shows approximately where the radiant will be

[James M]

Originally Posted by carlos_dfc

Yep peak is Jan 3rd
Not as active as the better known showers, but worth a look.

Radiant is in Bootes (Used to be in a - now defunct - small constellation called 'Quadrans Muralis' (hence the name 'Quadrantids') which is now the 'upper' part of Bootes and also part of Draco
Low to the NNE around 9-10pm - climbing to medium-height in the NE by around midnight.

This shows approximately where the radiant will be

Thanks Carlos.

[petermcgain]

Originally Posted by carlos_dfc

Take a look at this video - Arcturus gets a mention - in fact, compared to some stars, it's just a 'baby'
YouTube - Star Scale of the Universe Astronomy Amazing
The one at the end (VV Cephei) is something like 750-800 million miles in diameter (around 8 astronomical units)
By comparison, the Sun is less than a million mles across (875,000 miles), the earth is 1au from the Sun (93 million miles), Mars is about 1.5au, Jupiter a little over 5au, Saturn about 10au

Wow, my mind is suitably blown!