Well, the final report is one of disappointment after the 2015 Geminid meteor shower started so well here in Newark!
My first proper observation session took place at 2am on the night of the 12th-13th. It was well below zero, but warmly dressed, it was strangely pleasant reclining on a garden chair in the frost, watching the stars crisply pierce the black vault above.
In the 45 minute session I had, I observed 8 Geminids, none brighter than 2nd magnitude and most fainter. The last quarter moon was providing some interference in the East, but bright meteors were still easily visible. In fact the brightest I saw were two sporadics of first magnitude streaking North - South through Leo, against the tide as it were.
The night of maximum, the 13th-14th (Saturday-Sunday) commenced with me making a 7km run around the streets, including a trip up Clay Lane and to the Elm Avenue cricket ground. Here skies were dark, and I was certain of seeing meteors, or so I thought.
As it happened, during the 45 minute run with these frequent meteor stops, I saw no meteors, despite the gloriously clear skies. Of odd looks from dog walkers and car drivers, wondering who this neck craning athlete was, there were many. Of shooting stars, there were none.
However, during a 15 minute session later on where I observed from a well lit street, I saw 5 meteors at around 8pm and was really hopeful of a fantastic night of illuminations. Ha ha. In the great tradition of British weather, clouds rolled in from nowhere at around 9pm and blanked the sky out for the rest of the night.
Cruel. So cruel.
The night of post maximum was the same, and the one after. Finally, on the Tueday night, I saw my final Geminid of the shower, a proud but strangely sad specimen heading East leaving a short trail.
No more.
It could have been so darn good!
Showing posts with label meteors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meteors. Show all posts
Friday, 19 December 2014
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Time to Enjoy the Geminid Meteors
For many many years, it was the night of August 12th that was the most looked forward to on the shooting star watcher's calendar; the night of the annual Perseid maximum.
Despite their reputation, the Perseids have many drawbacks as a spectacle. For a start, the radiant, the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate from, rises very late in the UK, and thus the optimum time for observing the meteors is well past midnight. Also, in mid summer, the skies are never as dark as they are in winter, and so some fainter meteors will be drowned out in the deep twilight conditions.
Thirdly, the weather has not been great the last couple of years, with the night of maximum often clouded out.
The Geminids, which will reach maximum this weekend on the night of 13th-14th December, seem to have overtaken the Perseids as the most reliable shower of the year. For a start they have a longer build up, allowing meteors to be seen in the week to ten days prior to maximum. They tend to be slower moving and brighter, and thus easier to see. The winter skies are darker and crisper, allowing fainter meteors to be seen. And finally, the radiant is already reasonably high in the sky by the early evening, and not far from overhead by midnight which makes them a spectacle children can enjoy too.
Unlike meteor showers like the Perseids and Leonids - associated with the comets Swift-Tuttle and Temple-Tuttle respectively - the source of the Geminids seems to be the asteroid Phaeton, an object with an orbit that takes it twice as close to the sun as the planet Mercury, raising its temperature to 750C in the process.
I saw my first Geminid of the 2014 season last night at about midnight, streaking through the constellations of Triangulum and Australia. Just after it did so, a pair of canada geese flew low overhead, softly glowing in the moonlight. It just went to emphasise what magical sights there are to have while meteor watching.
The best time for observing Geminids this year will probably be up to midnight - one am on the night of the 13th-14th - after this, a last quarter moon will start to interfere although plenty of brighter meteors will still be visible. Unlike the Perseids, which tend to be seen closer to the radiant, Geminids tend to wander much further across the sky. Because of this, a reclining chair with a good view of the zenith might well be the best place to watch the meteors from, although remember for the love of all that's holy to wrap up warm this time of year. A good view of the Southern portion of the sky might be best, particularly later on.
Watch for the colour of the meteors. Often Geminids will appear to have a markedly orange hue compared to the Perseids, and often they leave a smokey trail too. They may also appear to "wobble" slightly as they travel across the sky.
So lets hope for clear skies, and not too much in the way of savage frosts or numbing gales, and let us see what we shall see.
Good hunting!
Despite their reputation, the Perseids have many drawbacks as a spectacle. For a start, the radiant, the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate from, rises very late in the UK, and thus the optimum time for observing the meteors is well past midnight. Also, in mid summer, the skies are never as dark as they are in winter, and so some fainter meteors will be drowned out in the deep twilight conditions.
Thirdly, the weather has not been great the last couple of years, with the night of maximum often clouded out.
The Geminids, which will reach maximum this weekend on the night of 13th-14th December, seem to have overtaken the Perseids as the most reliable shower of the year. For a start they have a longer build up, allowing meteors to be seen in the week to ten days prior to maximum. They tend to be slower moving and brighter, and thus easier to see. The winter skies are darker and crisper, allowing fainter meteors to be seen. And finally, the radiant is already reasonably high in the sky by the early evening, and not far from overhead by midnight which makes them a spectacle children can enjoy too.
Unlike meteor showers like the Perseids and Leonids - associated with the comets Swift-Tuttle and Temple-Tuttle respectively - the source of the Geminids seems to be the asteroid Phaeton, an object with an orbit that takes it twice as close to the sun as the planet Mercury, raising its temperature to 750C in the process.
I saw my first Geminid of the 2014 season last night at about midnight, streaking through the constellations of Triangulum and Australia. Just after it did so, a pair of canada geese flew low overhead, softly glowing in the moonlight. It just went to emphasise what magical sights there are to have while meteor watching.
The best time for observing Geminids this year will probably be up to midnight - one am on the night of the 13th-14th - after this, a last quarter moon will start to interfere although plenty of brighter meteors will still be visible. Unlike the Perseids, which tend to be seen closer to the radiant, Geminids tend to wander much further across the sky. Because of this, a reclining chair with a good view of the zenith might well be the best place to watch the meteors from, although remember for the love of all that's holy to wrap up warm this time of year. A good view of the Southern portion of the sky might be best, particularly later on.
Watch for the colour of the meteors. Often Geminids will appear to have a markedly orange hue compared to the Perseids, and often they leave a smokey trail too. They may also appear to "wobble" slightly as they travel across the sky.
So lets hope for clear skies, and not too much in the way of savage frosts or numbing gales, and let us see what we shall see.
Good hunting!
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Leonid Meteor Report
After an utter drenching cycling to work at 6am, and light drizzle at 6pm coming home I wasn't hopeful of seeing any clear skies above my head for the 2014 Leonid meteor shower. I more or less forgot about meteors, got on with my oceanography studies, and had a few cups of tea in the warm.
Typical Leonid night for me really. I've never had much luck with this most spectacular - every 33 years or so - of meteor showers. There's always a full moon, or the weather is bad, or the sharp maximum has failed to coincide with UK darkness. The fact that the best viewing for the shower. is found in the early morning hours doesn't help either.
In fact I've barely ever seen any.
Which is a pity, because this shower is a historic one indeed. Associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 33 or so years, spectacular meteor storms can occur in years when the comet is at perihelion. In 1833, meteors fell from the sky like rain, and some (possibly exaggerated) estimates put the Leonid count at 100,000 per hour.
Similar storms occurred in 1866 and 1966, although famously in 1966 huge numbers of meteors were seen in the USA, while after a huge build up from Patrick Moore, very few were seen in the UK, indicating the short but intense nature of the Leonid maximum.
Hopes were high for the years around the 1999 Tempel-Tuttle perihelion, and indeed around 1000 meteors an hour were seen in these years, although not by me as the weather was rotten every single damn and dratted year. Since then, with the comet now gone, rates have dwindled.
However, as I had the pleasant surprise of going outside at midnight and finding the sky crystal clear, I was still hopeful of seeing a few meteors. As it happened I saw exactly one Leonid, a faint specimen racing through the constellation of Auriga. A non-Leonid sporadic, rather brighter too, appeared through Ursa Major.
So my 30 minute or so watch went mostly unrewarded in meteor terms, but it was hardly wasted. The sky was beautifully clear, and I could even see one of the Auriga open clusters with my naked eye, which I've never done before. Perseus' sword handle was also plain, and the milky way ghosted across the zenith in Cassiopeia.
So you see, time under a clear sky is always valuable. Even if you can't find find what you might have been looking for, there's always something to see.
Typical Leonid night for me really. I've never had much luck with this most spectacular - every 33 years or so - of meteor showers. There's always a full moon, or the weather is bad, or the sharp maximum has failed to coincide with UK darkness. The fact that the best viewing for the shower. is found in the early morning hours doesn't help either.
In fact I've barely ever seen any.
Which is a pity, because this shower is a historic one indeed. Associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 33 or so years, spectacular meteor storms can occur in years when the comet is at perihelion. In 1833, meteors fell from the sky like rain, and some (possibly exaggerated) estimates put the Leonid count at 100,000 per hour.
 |
| A later (1889) depiction of the 1833 storm, in a 7th Day Adventist book. |
Hopes were high for the years around the 1999 Tempel-Tuttle perihelion, and indeed around 1000 meteors an hour were seen in these years, although not by me as the weather was rotten every single damn and dratted year. Since then, with the comet now gone, rates have dwindled.
However, as I had the pleasant surprise of going outside at midnight and finding the sky crystal clear, I was still hopeful of seeing a few meteors. As it happened I saw exactly one Leonid, a faint specimen racing through the constellation of Auriga. A non-Leonid sporadic, rather brighter too, appeared through Ursa Major.
So my 30 minute or so watch went mostly unrewarded in meteor terms, but it was hardly wasted. The sky was beautifully clear, and I could even see one of the Auriga open clusters with my naked eye, which I've never done before. Perseus' sword handle was also plain, and the milky way ghosted across the zenith in Cassiopeia.
So you see, time under a clear sky is always valuable. Even if you can't find find what you might have been looking for, there's always something to see.
Sunday, 3 August 2014
Perseid Alert, People!
Yes, it's that time of the year again, when the most enjoyable meteor shower of the year hits our skies again, the Perseids.
I say most enjoyable, because the honour of being the richest and easiest to view goes to the December Geminids these days, which to my way of thinking never used to be the case. But clear skies in December mean freezing cold and falling off appendages, something you don't need to worry about with the Perseids, which can be watched from a comfy garden chair (best after midnight) with a glass of something cool and pleasant to hand.
Without catching hypothermia.
August 12th is the shower maximum, but meteors will be visible over the next few nights until then, gathering in number each evening. Perseid meteors tend to be quite swift moving, but they are still easy to see, and if you are really lucky, a fireball, a very bright meteor that leaves a trail, and burns up perhaps in a flash of pink and green.
You'll never know unless YOU LOOK UP.
More information here;
Meteorwatch Guide
I say most enjoyable, because the honour of being the richest and easiest to view goes to the December Geminids these days, which to my way of thinking never used to be the case. But clear skies in December mean freezing cold and falling off appendages, something you don't need to worry about with the Perseids, which can be watched from a comfy garden chair (best after midnight) with a glass of something cool and pleasant to hand.
Without catching hypothermia.
August 12th is the shower maximum, but meteors will be visible over the next few nights until then, gathering in number each evening. Perseid meteors tend to be quite swift moving, but they are still easy to see, and if you are really lucky, a fireball, a very bright meteor that leaves a trail, and burns up perhaps in a flash of pink and green.
You'll never know unless YOU LOOK UP.
More information here;
Meteorwatch Guide
Sunday, 5 January 2014
The Quadrantid Fireball
The Quadrantids have been a bit of a disappointment.
After seeing a bright meteor the night before maximum, hopes were high that the night of maximum itself would be better. Well, it wasn't. The skies were good, if not frosty clear, and I settled outside for what I was hoping would a be a jolly old evening of meteor spotting.
I saw one in 40 minutes.
That, to say the least, was unexpected. I know this shower has a narrow maximum, but still...
So as I left my flat last night to go and meet a friend, I barely even bothered to look up at the sky for any meteors. And then, as I turned my key in the door, a flash lit up my face, and made me jump out of my skin.
I looked up at neck-cricking speeds, and saw an orange-yellow Quadrantid leaving a marked smoke trail as it passed through Taurus, heading South-East. I thought it was magnitude -4 or so at the time, but this was more based on the flash lighting up my face. The meteor itself was as bright, or brighter, than Jupiter, so perhaps mag. -2 - -3 would be nearer the mark.
Still, it was an impressive sight, and the night got better as I walked through town, as I saw, foraging for food by The Fox and Crown.
As friends told me; it must surely be a good omen.
After seeing a bright meteor the night before maximum, hopes were high that the night of maximum itself would be better. Well, it wasn't. The skies were good, if not frosty clear, and I settled outside for what I was hoping would a be a jolly old evening of meteor spotting.
I saw one in 40 minutes.
That, to say the least, was unexpected. I know this shower has a narrow maximum, but still...
So as I left my flat last night to go and meet a friend, I barely even bothered to look up at the sky for any meteors. And then, as I turned my key in the door, a flash lit up my face, and made me jump out of my skin.
I looked up at neck-cricking speeds, and saw an orange-yellow Quadrantid leaving a marked smoke trail as it passed through Taurus, heading South-East. I thought it was magnitude -4 or so at the time, but this was more based on the flash lighting up my face. The meteor itself was as bright, or brighter, than Jupiter, so perhaps mag. -2 - -3 would be nearer the mark.
Still, it was an impressive sight, and the night got better as I walked through town, as I saw, foraging for food by The Fox and Crown.
As friends told me; it must surely be a good omen.
Friday, 3 January 2014
Quadrantid Hunting
The first major meteor shower of the year is on us already, and noticing clearing skies at 2am last night, I wasn't about to miss the opportunity to try and spot a few meteors.
Although the maximum is not actually until, well, now, as I write this - 8pm, 03.01.14 - I figured it was worth seeing if there were any meteors about.
However, unlike the Gemnids, or the Perseids, which have a lot of activity over several days, the Quadrantids have a very sharp maximum which means although the number of meteors can reach the same as with those two major showers, it is for a far shorter window of time.
Ergo, as I stood outside with a makeshift Pina Colada, I saw exactly one meteor in about 45 minutes, a bright, magnitude -1 specimen that sliced through the head of the celestial snake Hydra.
So, I shall try again tonight, and if you have clear skies, so should you. The Quadrantids, named after a constellation called Quadrans Muralis that was purged after the powers that be decided there was no point in it existing as a separate constellation, are probably best seen after midnight, as the radiant, near the handle of the big dipper, is very low until that time.
Here's hoping for clear skies!
Although the maximum is not actually until, well, now, as I write this - 8pm, 03.01.14 - I figured it was worth seeing if there were any meteors about.
However, unlike the Gemnids, or the Perseids, which have a lot of activity over several days, the Quadrantids have a very sharp maximum which means although the number of meteors can reach the same as with those two major showers, it is for a far shorter window of time.
Ergo, as I stood outside with a makeshift Pina Colada, I saw exactly one meteor in about 45 minutes, a bright, magnitude -1 specimen that sliced through the head of the celestial snake Hydra.
So, I shall try again tonight, and if you have clear skies, so should you. The Quadrantids, named after a constellation called Quadrans Muralis that was purged after the powers that be decided there was no point in it existing as a separate constellation, are probably best seen after midnight, as the radiant, near the handle of the big dipper, is very low until that time.
Here's hoping for clear skies!
Saturday, 14 December 2013
Observing Geminid Maximum
Well, I gave it a go, posting myself outside at 11.30pm in a collection of various fleeces. I'd felt rather pleased with myself, doing a bit of "outreach" by advertising the best meteor shower of the year to my social contacts, but when I went outside, clouds were rolling in to make me look like a fool. The moon also was making things difficult.
Locally anyway. People further South had better luck.
Myself, I saw 4 meteors in around 20 minutes, mainly through thick haze and in scant gaps between the heavier clouds. As before, all were heading South in the sky, and were observed between the radiant and Orion. The last one I saw was the choice specimen, a magnitude zero or better meteor on a path through Monoceros, the constellation of the unicorn.
There are still meteors to be seen in the next day or two, so here's hoping for clearer skies, and for some miracle to somehow blank the moon out...
Locally anyway. People further South had better luck.
Myself, I saw 4 meteors in around 20 minutes, mainly through thick haze and in scant gaps between the heavier clouds. As before, all were heading South in the sky, and were observed between the radiant and Orion. The last one I saw was the choice specimen, a magnitude zero or better meteor on a path through Monoceros, the constellation of the unicorn.
There are still meteors to be seen in the next day or two, so here's hoping for clearer skies, and for some miracle to somehow blank the moon out...
Thursday, 12 December 2013
First Geminid Meteors of the Season!
Ahead of Friday's Geminid maximum, took advantage of reasonably clear skies and a low half moon to make my first Geminid observations for 2013.
Although the Perseids of August are often talked up as being the best shower of the year, in practice I find the Geminids to be a better observing experience. The radiant is higher in the sky much earlier, winter skies are darker, and the meteors themselves tend to be slower moving and brighter than the Perseids.
The main problem is the cold, and believe me, it was pretty sharp last night!
I observed for half an hour from 1am, and managed to pick up 5 bright meteors in this time, strangely most of them in the low south, streaking through Orion and Canis Major. Thought I would see more in the vast blank patch of sky overhead that was the constellation of Camelopardalis.
If skies clear, I shall make some more observations tonight, and hopefully there will be an increase in visible meteor numbers. I will also take a scaldingly hot cup of coffee outside with me tonight to improve my observational endurance!
Although the Perseids of August are often talked up as being the best shower of the year, in practice I find the Geminids to be a better observing experience. The radiant is higher in the sky much earlier, winter skies are darker, and the meteors themselves tend to be slower moving and brighter than the Perseids.
The main problem is the cold, and believe me, it was pretty sharp last night!
I observed for half an hour from 1am, and managed to pick up 5 bright meteors in this time, strangely most of them in the low south, streaking through Orion and Canis Major. Thought I would see more in the vast blank patch of sky overhead that was the constellation of Camelopardalis.
If skies clear, I shall make some more observations tonight, and hopefully there will be an increase in visible meteor numbers. I will also take a scaldingly hot cup of coffee outside with me tonight to improve my observational endurance!
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
Perseid Report 2013
I attempted to dedicate two evenings to proper Perseid observations - Sunday 11th - 12th and Monday 12th - 13th.
Sunday was a terrible disappointment. My initial reading led me to believe that this would be the best evening for observing, but as it transpired, I was clouded out for the most part, indeed my initial drink at the pub where I attempted to do some "outreach" work over a pint of a very fine Adnams ale. The clouds half cleared for about 15 minutes when I got home, and I stood outside hopefully, but I saw precisely one meteor before the clouds completely rolled in and killed off observing for the night.
I was gutted, and I was not the only one by the looks of things.
However, reports the next day suggested that the peak may be later than first though, and that the ZHR (Zenithal Hourly Maximum" rate was still increasing. So, as I had another fine pint of ale pre midnight, and was able to show a Perseid off at the pub - several were seen from here after I went home.
Me, I was a good and conscientious citizen scientist. I headed home, got out my garden chair reclined to the max, my 10x50s, and a warm jacket. I had about a third of the sky in view, the radiant to Square of Pegasus, to Ursa Major, and over the zenith to Hercules.
It was a slow start at about 1230am, and it took a few minutes to see my first meteor, but as the radiant rose higher, the view just got better and better. As I usually tend to expect from the Perseids, most meteors were fast moving, short lived, and not too far from the radiant - I find the Geminids tend to be much more widely ranged across the sky.
The typical Perseid was usually about Mag 2, and distinctly orange in colour. There were three or four much brighter, Mag 0 specimens, leaving distinct smoky trails, but sadly no spectacular fireballs for me! I observed for an hour, counting around 30 Perseids and 1 sporadic - I lost count!
In between Perseids, I got in some nice looks at Kemble's Cascade, Cassiopeia clusters, and Cygnus and Lacerta too, and all the while I listened to some interesting tech reports on the BBC World service.
All in all, it was a very rewarding night's observing, I hope many new observers were outside with a warm drink and their eyes turned skyward!
Sunday was a terrible disappointment. My initial reading led me to believe that this would be the best evening for observing, but as it transpired, I was clouded out for the most part, indeed my initial drink at the pub where I attempted to do some "outreach" work over a pint of a very fine Adnams ale. The clouds half cleared for about 15 minutes when I got home, and I stood outside hopefully, but I saw precisely one meteor before the clouds completely rolled in and killed off observing for the night.
I was gutted, and I was not the only one by the looks of things.
However, reports the next day suggested that the peak may be later than first though, and that the ZHR (Zenithal Hourly Maximum" rate was still increasing. So, as I had another fine pint of ale pre midnight, and was able to show a Perseid off at the pub - several were seen from here after I went home.
Me, I was a good and conscientious citizen scientist. I headed home, got out my garden chair reclined to the max, my 10x50s, and a warm jacket. I had about a third of the sky in view, the radiant to Square of Pegasus, to Ursa Major, and over the zenith to Hercules.
It was a slow start at about 1230am, and it took a few minutes to see my first meteor, but as the radiant rose higher, the view just got better and better. As I usually tend to expect from the Perseids, most meteors were fast moving, short lived, and not too far from the radiant - I find the Geminids tend to be much more widely ranged across the sky.
The typical Perseid was usually about Mag 2, and distinctly orange in colour. There were three or four much brighter, Mag 0 specimens, leaving distinct smoky trails, but sadly no spectacular fireballs for me! I observed for an hour, counting around 30 Perseids and 1 sporadic - I lost count!
In between Perseids, I got in some nice looks at Kemble's Cascade, Cassiopeia clusters, and Cygnus and Lacerta too, and all the while I listened to some interesting tech reports on the BBC World service.
All in all, it was a very rewarding night's observing, I hope many new observers were outside with a warm drink and their eyes turned skyward!
Friday, 9 August 2013
How to Observe the Perseid Meteor Shower
Some of you may have noticed the increasing coverage of the upcoming Perseid meteor shower on the night of 11/12th August - Sunday into Monday. I'm going to give you a few tips on how best to get outside and see a few meteors.
The good news is twofold. 1) Meteor activity is already increasing; if you were to head outside tonight under clear skies and watch for a few minutes, you would be unlucky not to see one. 2) The best time to see them is after the pub closes. Probably in every sense.
The Perseid meteors are grains of dust, smaller than a grain of sand, that were once a part of Comet Swift-Tuttle, a comet with a nucleus 27km acrosss the orbits the Earth every 133 years leaving behind a trail of iccey and dusty particles. Every August 12th, our home planet intersects the centre of the orbit of these particles, each one the age of the solar system, and they slam into our atmosphere at high speed, leaving a fast moving, bright trail as friction causes them to burn up.
Meteor showers appear to emanate from a single spot in the sky called a radiant - the Perseids radiant is in the constellation of Perseus, the ancient Medusa slaying warrior. This diagram from Sky and Telescope magazine explains it.
As the radiant rises higher in the sky, the chance of seeing meteors increases, so the best time for observing Perseids will be after midnight as the 11th of August turns into the 12th, Sunday to Monday. My plan will be get a reclining garden chair out and face it roughly East, or North East, and lie back looking in the rough direction of the prominent W shaped constellation of Cassiopeia and above. I shall have a drink of some variety, a warm jacket on, and be listening to some spacey stories on my mobile phone.
The meteors will be fast moving, mainly white "shooting stars", similar brightness to the brighter stars, brighter ones possibly leaving a smoky trail. Look out for any leaving a different coloured trail, possibly yellow or blue-ish, and for really bright fireballs that will perhaps glow pink or green and leave a trail of sparks.
Don't be confused with the International Space Station, that will be brighter than most of the meteors, and be much slower moving from West to East if one of its passes occurs while you are observing.
The shower will continue until dawn, with the numbers of meteors rising as the radiant does. Under clear skies, perhaps up to 50-60 an hour may be visible, but from a town sight, 25-30 might be a good return.
This is a fascinating even that anyone can take part in, for free. Give your kids a treat and let the stay up and watch if skies are clear. And remember, Perseids will be visible for a few days either side of the early morning of the 12th.
Don't miss them!
The good news is twofold. 1) Meteor activity is already increasing; if you were to head outside tonight under clear skies and watch for a few minutes, you would be unlucky not to see one. 2) The best time to see them is after the pub closes. Probably in every sense.
The Perseid meteors are grains of dust, smaller than a grain of sand, that were once a part of Comet Swift-Tuttle, a comet with a nucleus 27km acrosss the orbits the Earth every 133 years leaving behind a trail of iccey and dusty particles. Every August 12th, our home planet intersects the centre of the orbit of these particles, each one the age of the solar system, and they slam into our atmosphere at high speed, leaving a fast moving, bright trail as friction causes them to burn up.
Meteor showers appear to emanate from a single spot in the sky called a radiant - the Perseids radiant is in the constellation of Perseus, the ancient Medusa slaying warrior. This diagram from Sky and Telescope magazine explains it.
As the radiant rises higher in the sky, the chance of seeing meteors increases, so the best time for observing Perseids will be after midnight as the 11th of August turns into the 12th, Sunday to Monday. My plan will be get a reclining garden chair out and face it roughly East, or North East, and lie back looking in the rough direction of the prominent W shaped constellation of Cassiopeia and above. I shall have a drink of some variety, a warm jacket on, and be listening to some spacey stories on my mobile phone.
The meteors will be fast moving, mainly white "shooting stars", similar brightness to the brighter stars, brighter ones possibly leaving a smoky trail. Look out for any leaving a different coloured trail, possibly yellow or blue-ish, and for really bright fireballs that will perhaps glow pink or green and leave a trail of sparks.
Don't be confused with the International Space Station, that will be brighter than most of the meteors, and be much slower moving from West to East if one of its passes occurs while you are observing.
The shower will continue until dawn, with the numbers of meteors rising as the radiant does. Under clear skies, perhaps up to 50-60 an hour may be visible, but from a town sight, 25-30 might be a good return.
This is a fascinating even that anyone can take part in, for free. Give your kids a treat and let the stay up and watch if skies are clear. And remember, Perseids will be visible for a few days either side of the early morning of the 12th.
Don't miss them!
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Last night's Geminid Report
OK, the one man member of the East Notts Astronomical Society (Meteor division) has an extrememly sore, torn, pulled and wrecked buttock and a bit of a cold, so don't expect 6 hours worth of observations. I was watching a documentary about Steve Jobs. However, at about 2045 or so I went out for a fifteen minute observing session when I spied clear skies - occasionally the clouds would roll over for a spell last night - and saw 7 Geminids and one sporadic.
Nothing was as spectacular as the mag -5 fireball I saw the previous night, but the meteors were bright, up to mag zero, slow moving and left smoky trails in some instances. Although other observers were reporting blue or pure white colours, to me they looked an ivory white colour, similar to that of Jupiter. One specimen was a long way off the from the radiant, and followed a somewhat crooked path, almost looking like it was tumbling through Lepus and Eridanus down towards the southern horizon.
At about 11pm, I had a shorter session and saw 5 geminids and one sporadic. As the moon got higher and interfered more, a 0045am session resulted in only two geminids being spotted.
It is interesting to me that The Perseids are regarded as "The Meteor Shower" by the media. For I found the Geminds generally brighter, slower moving, and easier to spot. The radiant is also much better placed for evening observing, although I suppose like lastnight, the viewing conditions vary from cold to brass monkeys!
They certainly seemed easy to spot for casual non astronomical observers I mentioned them to.
Nothing was as spectacular as the mag -5 fireball I saw the previous night, but the meteors were bright, up to mag zero, slow moving and left smoky trails in some instances. Although other observers were reporting blue or pure white colours, to me they looked an ivory white colour, similar to that of Jupiter. One specimen was a long way off the from the radiant, and followed a somewhat crooked path, almost looking like it was tumbling through Lepus and Eridanus down towards the southern horizon.
At about 11pm, I had a shorter session and saw 5 geminids and one sporadic. As the moon got higher and interfered more, a 0045am session resulted in only two geminids being spotted.
It is interesting to me that The Perseids are regarded as "The Meteor Shower" by the media. For I found the Geminds generally brighter, slower moving, and easier to spot. The radiant is also much better placed for evening observing, although I suppose like lastnight, the viewing conditions vary from cold to brass monkeys!
They certainly seemed easy to spot for casual non astronomical observers I mentioned them to.
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Geminid Fireball
Last night the wind was howling in, a bitter southwesterly liver slicer, that frankly made the idea of astronomical observing rather unattractive compared to stuffing yourself with tea and biscuits. The high waning moon in Gemini near the radiant made meteor watching seem an unrewarding prospect as well, so aside from the odd peak outside, I stayed in and I drank tea and stuffed myself with biscuits.
But at 0045 I stuck my head out again, and immediately was rewarded for my lack of persistence by the sight of a glorious fireball heading north through the bleak badlands beyond the pole star towards the northern horizon. Easily brighter than Venus, I'd put it at mag -5, and it was a sort of copper flame green colour, and was emitting pink "sparks" as it burnt up. It was that pretty I told my girlfriend I ought to have hung it around her neck.
Fortified with a strong rum and coke, I had a more determined watch for half an hour or so at about 3am, but the moon was virtually overhead, and I only saw one meteor of about mag zero in this period - I don't have great skies either so I was double hampered.
Will try again tonight in patches. But my god, wrap up warm. It's turn your hands purple weather.
But at 0045 I stuck my head out again, and immediately was rewarded for my lack of persistence by the sight of a glorious fireball heading north through the bleak badlands beyond the pole star towards the northern horizon. Easily brighter than Venus, I'd put it at mag -5, and it was a sort of copper flame green colour, and was emitting pink "sparks" as it burnt up. It was that pretty I told my girlfriend I ought to have hung it around her neck.
Fortified with a strong rum and coke, I had a more determined watch for half an hour or so at about 3am, but the moon was virtually overhead, and I only saw one meteor of about mag zero in this period - I don't have great skies either so I was double hampered.
Will try again tonight in patches. But my god, wrap up warm. It's turn your hands purple weather.
Friday, 18 November 2011
On the lookout for Leonids
I can't recall ever seeing a Leonid meteor you know. November 18th for as long as I can remember seems to have been an endless succession of clouded out nights or enforced early bedtimes.
Last night was one of the lattter events, but as midnight approached I went outside into the reasonably dark but heavily tree ridden postage stamp of a front garden, and looked to the East where a waning halfish moon was rising between the houses on the next street and Jupiter shone between the branches of the shedding Sycamore.
I got quite nicely dark adapted, took in a few of the sights, looking as always at the Square of Pegasus before letting my eyes wander along Andromeda's lengthy curvy body before arriving at rampant Perseus, bearing the deadly head of Medusa. I took all these sights in, always keeping an eye of the east and the rising radiant, but of meteors, Leonid meteors, I saw none.
Will try again tonight but worry about the clouds, I so do.
Last night was one of the lattter events, but as midnight approached I went outside into the reasonably dark but heavily tree ridden postage stamp of a front garden, and looked to the East where a waning halfish moon was rising between the houses on the next street and Jupiter shone between the branches of the shedding Sycamore.
I got quite nicely dark adapted, took in a few of the sights, looking as always at the Square of Pegasus before letting my eyes wander along Andromeda's lengthy curvy body before arriving at rampant Perseus, bearing the deadly head of Medusa. I took all these sights in, always keeping an eye of the east and the rising radiant, but of meteors, Leonid meteors, I saw none.
Will try again tonight but worry about the clouds, I so do.
Saturday, 22 October 2011
My berries are not yet being pillaged
Every chance I get, I have a little look at my Holly Tree and see if any glorious Redwings or Fieldfares have decided to come and get stuck into what's on offer - that'll be berries then - but at the moment I'm not managing to catch any visitors, not even the boring but temptingly plump Woodpigeons that treated the tree like Macdonalds last year.
Bit disappointing. I'm hoping to get some feeders up this winter and see what I can attract.
Missed the Orionid meteors, sky was cloudy last night although not this morning which was a wonderfully transparent black through which the stars shone. I'm aiming to do one meteorwatch in freezing temperatures in my garden chair in a sleeping bag, hat, and half a bottle of strong rum or something equally warming, if sadly inanimate.
And then brag about it on here, to make my look like a real hard case!
Bit disappointing. I'm hoping to get some feeders up this winter and see what I can attract.
Missed the Orionid meteors, sky was cloudy last night although not this morning which was a wonderfully transparent black through which the stars shone. I'm aiming to do one meteorwatch in freezing temperatures in my garden chair in a sleeping bag, hat, and half a bottle of strong rum or something equally warming, if sadly inanimate.
And then brag about it on here, to make my look like a real hard case!
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