Meteor Shower

[Chris Plumb]

Most month's play host to a meteor shower or 2 - a list and full details of the major ones can be found here...

 

http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/astron/comet/index.html

 

The Persieds are the most reliable. 2 years ago we had a barbecue on the beach and then lay out on a blanket counting shooting stars - absolutely magical.

 

As Steve says the Leonids (each Nov.) peak on a 33 year cycle the last peak was in 1999. I seem to remember freezing my butt of for a couple of hours and only seeing one

 

Chris

[Steve Burke]

Typically the Leonids in 1999 put on a good show on the other side of the world when we were in daylight and thus couldn't see them. I seem to recall being disappointed for the same reason in 1966, when I believe the States had a brilliant display.

 

I'd been looking forward to the total eclipse of the sun in August 1999 for about 35 years as it was the only one visible from the UK in my lifetime. Then it was cloudy! Looks as though I'll have to travel a long way to see one now.

 

Chesters, total eclipses of the moon are both variable and unpredictable, partly depending on the state of the atmosphere. Sometimes they're almost a non-event. Other times for instance the moon turns a spectacular deep red.

[JackPike]

Cloudy here in the northwest but caught a pike perch and a bream tonite

 

[ 12. August 2002, 10:34 PM: Message edited by: JackPike ]

[DMCA]

Well...been out having a look...a few decent ones, a few more blink and you'll miss it ones, but the neck strain to sighting frequency ratio was too high so I'm off to bed now. Mostly nice clear sky though.

[Gray-Catchpole]

cleared up here at 12, so i went out, in an hour i have managed to see 12, any idea if they are to become more frequent, and how long its going to last.

[Chris Plumb]

Yup, was a good night for them - I lay in a deck chair in the garden for nearly an hour and counted 22 - some really decent ones too...

 

Last night was the peak - but they should continue to be rewarding tonight and into the week.

 

Chris

[poledark]

I sat by the lake and watched them come swooping down, seemed to start with the odd one or two about 21.15.

 

Sobering thought, that is how earth will probably end up, but what a way to go...whoosh...fizz.................

 

have a good day

 

Den