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furshur
SFN Regular
USA
1536 Posts |
 Posted - 08/10/2007 : 07:16:18
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The Perseids meteor shower is tonight and tomorrow. The moon is going to be rising early so the best viewing will be before 10:00, before the moon rises and washes out the sky.
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If I knew then what I know now then I would know more now than I know. |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2007 : 07:22:52 [Permalink]
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| I think also on Sunday, according to this BA article |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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GeeMack
SFN Regular
USA
1093 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2007 : 18:40:12 [Permalink]
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The Perseids Meteor Shower occurs every year about this time. It is caused by the Earth passing through the residual dust from the trail of the Swift-Tuttle comet. The dust and debris particles are the size of sand grains and smaller. They enter the Earth's atmosphere at over 100,000 miles per hour. The streaks of light we see are caused by the particles burning due to heat generated by friction with the atmosphere.
Tomorrow night, Sunday August 12, should be the peak of the 2007 Perseids, but tonight, tomorrow, and Monday night should provide some good viewing. The moon is near new, almost no illumination, and won't even rise until just before sunrise each morning, so it will be a non-issue. In ideal viewing conditions, away from the city, with clear skies, etc., you might expect to see as many as 60 to 100 meteors per hour. The shower is named for Perseus, a constellation which will be in the northeastern sky. The meteors generally appear to emanate from the constellation, hence the name Perseids, but may be seen just about anywhere in the sky.
Check Google News for more information.
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| Edited by - GeeMack on 08/11/2007 18:42:38 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2007 : 20:05:10 [Permalink]
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Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday -- overcast here by the sea. Dammit!
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
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GeeMack
SFN Regular
USA
1093 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 19:42:08 [Permalink]
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I got out last evening and saw a half dozen or so in a little less than an hour. I live near the edge of town and have a couple of reasonably dark places nearby where I can go to watch the sky. It was warm, 79°F (26°C), perfect for being out after dark. The sky was cloudless but it was humid, so the reflection of the city lights caused a soft glow which decreased the general visibility. This evening it's mostly overcast so I'm staying in.
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 20:04:48 [Permalink]
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Well, I just spent all of eight minutes or so looking. Thanks to all my neighbors' porchlights, I think I saw one little Perseid.
I came back in when I saw the Lacrosse 5 satellite go by, 'cause I wanted to find out what it was. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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furshur
SFN Regular
USA
1536 Posts |
 Posted - 08/13/2007 : 06:00:05 [Permalink]
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I had good viewing on Saturday, however I was very alarmed to see that the moon did not rise and feared that it might have been destroyed.
Somehow, I must have looked at the wrong year on the internet when I was checking out the meteor shower.
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If I knew then what I know now then I would know more now than I know. |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2007 : 07:01:48 [Permalink]
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| Here in the Deep South, the fundies prayed for deliverance from this evil celestial/scientific event, and thus we have 100+ deg F weather with high humidity. Therefore, the city light made viewing the sky impossible (and also uncomfortable with night time temps near 90 deg F). |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2007 : 07:20:21 [Permalink]
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| Heavy overcast prevented me from viewing. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Boron10
Religion Moderator
USA
1266 Posts |
 Posted - 08/13/2007 : 09:59:47 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Heavy overcast prevented me from viewing. |
Me too!
I spent the entire weekend camping out on the beach (San Onofre, for those who know SoCal), and saw only one "maybe" meteor out of the corner of my eye. There was still too much light pollution from the nearby cities, and the Marine Layer rolled in around 11pm Friday and Saturday, killing any possibility of Perseid-watching.
I am pretty bummed about that. |
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Perseids Friday and Saturday
