Lethal Nizzle Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Sky-watchers could be in for "fantastic views" over the next two days as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. According to Nasa, the shower could produce a display of up to 80 meteors per hour. "A waxing crescent moon will set before the shower becomes active, setting a perfect stage for meteor watching," said the US space agency on its website. Experts are urging people to head away from city lights for the best views. John Mason from the British Astronomical Association (BAA) told BBC News: "Weather-permitting, we should be in for a very good show across the UK. "The shower has been ongoing for a week now and we have already seen some very bright meteors whizzing overhead." The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. Every 133 years, the huge comet swings through the inner part of our Solar System and leaves behind a trail of dust and gravel. When Earth passes through the debris, specks hit our atmosphere at 140,000mph and disintegrate in flashes of light. The peak of the meteor shower occurs just two days after a new Moon, meaning that Earth's natural satellite will not provide any extra light pollution to spoil the view. The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) said the relatively warm summer nights would make this meteor shower one of the more comfortable to watch. (from BBC News page) All over my Facebook newsfeed from people who've seen shooting stars, I've seen f*ck all. Apparently they're best seen where there's little light... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 To be fair, it's not just in the UK: For those wondering if the meteors will be visible from home, NASA has created a guide for viewing. Anywhere above -32 latitude is in the clear, which is anywhere north of the bottom tips of Brazil and Australia. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/p...er_tonight.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethal Nizzle Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 To be fair, it's not just in the UK: For those wondering if the meteors will be visible from home, NASA has created a guide for viewing. Anywhere above -32 latitude is in the clear, which is anywhere north of the bottom tips of Brazil and Australia. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/p...er_tonight.html Oh my bad, I saw this: John Mason from the British Astronomical Association (BAA) told BBC News: "Weather-permitting, we should be in for a very good show across the UK. and automatically thought it was just in the UK. Anyone else lucky enough to spot any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 It's not even night here, but I'll make sure to be looking up toward the stars tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethal Nizzle Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 Just saw one. Quick flash of blue/orange and it was gone. Nothing too special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GogZ Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Same with me, spotted on earlier after about 15 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Hmm I've not seen any, I'm kind of way to lazy to look outside the window right now. Although I'll try later before I go to bed and tomorrow. Haven't even heard about this to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riquenunes Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 I guess I would be able to see from here, but I can't be bothered going outside now with this cold weather. :S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunk Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Been looking out my bedroom window for a while now and I've seen nothing. Fingers crossed one'll pop up soon and all this time won't have been wasted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runey Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 All I see is clouds and lightning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of delete key Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Nice display here in Pennsylvania, about one every minute or so. Just saw a real bright one which pretty much covered the sky. Last year I saw one that lit up the yard like a flashbulb. Usually, though, it's cloudy every year for this shower. "I can just imagine him driving off the edge of a cliff like Thelma & Louise, playing his Q:13 mix at full volume, crying into a bottle." - Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Hmm I've not seen any, I'm kind of way to lazy to look outside the window right now. Although I'll try later before I go to bed and tomorrow. Haven't even heard about this to be honest. We're pretty much always guaranteed a shower mid to end of August. Of course the intensity can vary but I remember many a family holiday spent watching the sky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Hmm I've not seen any, I'm kind of way to lazy to look outside the window right now. Although I'll try later before I go to bed and tomorrow. Haven't even heard about this to be honest. We're pretty much always guaranteed a shower mid to end of August. Of course the intensity can vary but I remember many a family holiday spent watching the sky. As a kid I was told I would probably never see a meteor shower, like they were Halley's comet. How often do they happen in, say, once a year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Went out and saw one. Would probably see a lot more if I had a better vantage point. Pretty awesome though. The streaks were long which gave me the impression of a ship going to warp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOSEPH X Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Saw one at work last night - when I snuck out for a crafty smoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slingaa Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Had a look outside for an hour, didn't see any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinski Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 I'm not likely to see one tonight (wasn't looking last night) because it's been as cloudy as sin here for about 2 weeks. We seriously seem to be just stuck in a cloud/rain weather system that refuses to shift. I'm in the north, by the way. I'll be on the lookout tonight if I'm not going out I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 I'm not likely to see one tonight (wasn't looking last night) because it's been as cloudy as sin here for about 2 weeks. We seriously seem to be just stuck in a cloud/rain weather system that refuses to shift. I'm in the north, by the way. I'll be on the lookout tonight if I'm not going out I suppose. Its meant to rain on and off here all day so I'm hoping that the clouds will of faded by about midnight and later since I'm up until then. I'll take a gander at the sky tonight though - if the weather permits that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epoxi Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 The weather's been so terrible: I haven't seen the Sun in weeks, let alone the stars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperVeloce Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Went outside to look but saw nothing, didn't help half the sky was covered in clouds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killzone56k Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Pic or it Never happened!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brown Sugar Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 when was this i never even heard about it or anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chigi333 Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Dang I missed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geomy Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Clear skies and rural light pollution made for a pretty good show. My wife and I drove out to the beach and watched the show from the hood. Most were tiny, quick little bursts of light, but there were a few that screamed across and lit up the sky. We were out there for an hour and a half or so, and saw a few dozen meteors altogether. Can't wait to share something like that with my son! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethal Nizzle Posted August 13, 2010 Author Share Posted August 13, 2010 Dang I missed it! Meant to continue tonight mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Hmm I've not seen any, I'm kind of way to lazy to look outside the window right now. Although I'll try later before I go to bed and tomorrow. Haven't even heard about this to be honest. We're pretty much always guaranteed a shower mid to end of August. Of course the intensity can vary but I remember many a family holiday spent watching the sky. As a kid I was told I would probably never see a meteor shower, like they were Halley's comet. How often do they happen in, say, once a year? Something like Halley yeah, very rare. Something on that scale, visible easily with the naked eye even when in space is pretty rare. Meteor showers in the sense of shooting stars, small particles burning up in the upper atmosphere? Very common. Can see them all year round in theory, just certain times of the year they're more prominent. Hundreds a night possibly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of delete key Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Hmm I've not seen any, I'm kind of way to lazy to look outside the window right now. Although I'll try later before I go to bed and tomorrow. Haven't even heard about this to be honest. We're pretty much always guaranteed a shower mid to end of August. Of course the intensity can vary but I remember many a family holiday spent watching the sky. As a kid I was told I would probably never see a meteor shower, like they were Halley's comet. How often do they happen in, say, once a year? There are several each year. Like was mentioned, they're the result of the Earth passing trough the debris trails of comets. Several of these intersect with Earths orbit, so in the same date each year we pass through each one in more or less the same relative place. The Perseid shower is the most brilliant of these, although each one varies in intensity from year to year. More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_shower "I can just imagine him driving off the edge of a cliff like Thelma & Louise, playing his Q:13 mix at full volume, crying into a bottle." - Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brown Sugar Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 well if it's meant to be happening again tonight then i'm f*cked. It's a typical scottish summer's day, cloudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinski Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Same here, apart from the scottish bit. Cloud all over Teesside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyn Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Just stuck my head out for a few minutes and saw 2 very bright ones. Once your eyes fully adjust after a few minutes you can see them everywhere but extremely faintly. Only the odd couple are really bright. SRS Incorporated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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