Meteor Showers

[Zadius Sky]

I've thought about posting this thread under "What's on Your minds?" section, but since it's about meteors, I'll post it here. If this has ready been discussed, my apologizes in advance.

Last night (August 12th), supposedly it was a important date for 2007 Perseid meteor shower.

_http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/11jul_greatperseids.htm

I went to a local lake at 9pm until 11pm, as it was one of a few viewing sites here in NC (of USA). But, during the two hours that I've been there, I saw five or six 'falling stars' but only three were bright and closer. Since it's bright and slow, it's closer to Earth than fast shooting stars (which is far). The people there was "oooh" and "ahhh" whenever a falling star was seen. I don't think they knows that these meteors been hitting Earth during the recent months.

Has anyone been to a viewing site last night and seen a full shower of meteors?

 

[Mikey]

It was in the night from Friday to Saturday (August, 10th) at 22:45. I sometimes look through the open window in the roof before going to bed, marveling at the stars. I didn't know that there was a meteor shower. I looked up at Cassiopaea, thinking of all people involved here that may have looked at it too. To the right (east), there was suddenly an extreme bright falling star. It was an glaring orange light ball as bright as fireworks can be. It seemed to break in two unequal parts half way down. The orange tail was visible for some seconds, until it rapidly vanished. The "star" went as low as 40-45 degrees altitude. I was surprised that this happened after looking at Cassiopaea! "Just a coincidence", I thought, and went to bed.

 

[Zadius Sky]

Cassiopea is shaped like a "w," am I correct? I saw that for the first time, which at the time, in the direction of the north. When I saw a 'w' shaped, I said "well, hello there." Then suddenly, a meteor shoot across the sky on my right sight and slow (it was a pretty sight, I might add), which was seen in the east.

I was surprised that this happened after looking at Cassiopaea! "Just a coincidence", I thought, and went to bed.

Same here, but I actually thought "huh" in a "oh that's interesting" kind of way. But, there was no bed in where I was, just sands filled with little spiders.

 

[Mikey]

We should have the same view on the northern sky. I can't really remember but I think the 'w' was tilted counter-clockwise. Next time, I will look closer!

I love observing the stars. The sky with its ever constant constellations seems to me like a bridge between people all over the world who might observe the same spot at the same time / or in the past / or future. Some of them are/were/will be collinear to you or have similar dreams or goals. Some not. But it reminded me that I'm not alone and there IS somebody out there, even though far away.

 

[Alana]

Has anyone been to a viewing site last night and seen a full shower of meteors?

Yes. I was by the beach and the sky was completely covered with stars. We could even see the Milky way. And then there were the shooting stars. One after another, some with long bright tails, others less bright, and there were also those with green bright tails. Didn't stay long, and it was pretty early, 9ish, so i am sure later on the show was even more spectacular. I think i saw Cassiopaea too, but it looked M from where i was standing...

 

[Zadius Sky]

I think i saw Cassiopaea too, but it looked M from where i was standing...

Are you seeing the southern sky or the northern? When I saw Cassiopea last night, it was a vertial 'w' (almost).

Where I was..there were light pollictions all around the horizon, so I couldn't see all the stars except above. Being in near the cities do not work well with the viewing of the skies. Being at the desert at night or being alone in middle of an ocean will do wonder with the sight.

 

[dant]

I see Cassiopaea as a 'w', NE, tilted CW from my
vantage point in Portland, OR, US.

Oh, yeah. If you have windoes or Linux, check out Stellarium.
It's free and very cool Planetarium software and shows in real
time the consellations and you can choose vantage points. The
only problem I have with this software is that it can mess up
your window desktop placements but small price to pay for free
software. Anyone else have better recommendations? I also
have Celestia but it is a different kind of planetarium that I am
not yet used to.

 

[Peam]

I went out into my garden at about 10pm (gmt) for about 10 minutes to have a look. The sky wasn’t cloudy and it was a clear night, as opposed to previous years where the clouds made it impossible to see any, so I thought I might be in luck for once. Didn’t see any meteors.
Tried again at 11.15pm but didn’t see any. So as my neck started seizing up through looking up, I gave up and went to bed thinking that the best time is about 2am anyway and I don’t feel like staying up until then.

But I often wake up several times during the night to turn over, and at about 1.40am I woke up and thought why not get up and have a look because it’s unusual to have a clear sky when there’s meteor showers, and it might still be clear, and I read every year after the event how the enthusiasts say how spectacular it all was.
It was a clear night from my vantage point, but after 20 minutes of careful watching I only caught a glimpse of one quick bright one and then I thought I saw a faint one off to the side of my direct view but couldn’t be sure. Then I gave up.

I must be unlucky. Where are all these 60 to 80 meteors per hour every year? Darn! They probably come in bunches of 58 at half past the hour and I missed em. :(

 

[Zadius Sky]

I must be unlucky. Where are all these 60 to 80 meteors per hour every year? Darn!

60 to 80 meteors an hour?? I have never seen such phenomenal event like that. Wow.

I wonder if anyone seen that many meteors this past Sunday night.

 

[Peam]

This BBC article suggested on Friday that it could peak at 100 per hour.

xttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4784645.stm

Here's a picture of the general area of the sky where they apear to come from. Fairly near to the Cassiopeia area of the sky.

xttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6940962.stml

 

[sHiZo963]

I was looking at the meteor shower in a suburb of Phoenix, AZ from about midnight until 2:30am on Monday (Sunday night). I counted about 20 in that time, some bigger than others, and definitely not all in one 'area' of the sky but rather all over. Some were even going in different directions.

And, funny you all should mention Cassiopeia, because it definitely 'stood out' in the night sky - from my vantage point, it looked like a 3 (i.e. sideways). I remember thinking about the C's while watching the shower...

 

[Zadius Sky]

I was looking at the meteor shower in a suburb of Phoenix, AZ

That's it, I'm moving to AZ. :P I can't get any good site for clear star-glazing around here in NC (unless on the top of the mountains).

I think it depends on our perceptions or views when looking at Cassiopea and from where we are on our world. It can be "w", "m", and both sideways. But, at least we get to see it when Cassiopea was smiling down on us during the meteor shower.

 

[NormaRegula]

My husband and I sat out in our front yard last night in Northern California for about a half an hour (10:15 PM PST) and we counted only three. It was getting very chilly and I was sleepy, so we went back in shortly after. The Sunday night before there were five nice ones in the sky at about the same time in the direction of Cassiopea. I turned to my husband and said "we'll probably be seeing more spectacular meteor showers in the near future." He turned to me and said "yes, dear."

 

[Alana]

Are you seeing the southern sky or the northern? When I saw Cassiopea last night, it was a vertial 'w' (almost).

Sorry for late reply, i have been away from forum for a while. But i had chances to look at the starry skies again and asked a friend for confirmation who saw it with me (never 100% sure about what i see ;) )and it was indeed a W slightly skewed like this /. But i don't know regarding southern/northern sky. Eastern Mediterranean region :)

edit: But there'll be more comet showers, one coming up 1st of September: Rare meteor shower to shed light on dangerous comets

 

[Redrock12]

One night last week, I went a few miles out of town to escape the light pollution to see if I could see Cassiopaea. The sky was cloudless, the wind was calm, and the temperature was only a few degrees above freezing, a perfect night for star gazing. And sure enough I wasn't disappointed. It was beautiful. Besides Cassiopaea, I also saw what were probably satellites and jets, plus a couple of shooting stars. But also an orange looking object off to the southeast, a bit larger than any of the surrounding stars moving in an arc, as if on a controlled course. I don't think it was a plane or satellite because of it's orangish color and the fact that it moved in what appeared to be a fairly tight arc and also faster than a plane or satellite, at least it appeared to be. Then it just disappeared.
At the very least, it was just awe-inspiring to have such a clear, unobstructed view of the stars and whatever else was up there.