Perseid meteor

On Sun, 12 Aug 2007 05:15:05 -0700, "
wrote:

On 12 Aug, 02:16, Pete Lawrence
wrote:
Here's my first (and probably last!) Perseid of the season so far. A
crop from the original frame showing the meteor close to Cygnus. The
meteor occurred close to the edge of the full frame which was taken
with a 16mm lens - hence the curvature in the meteor's trail.

http://www.digitalsky.org.uk/meteors...M-crop_640.jpg
--
Petehttp://www.digitalsky.org.uk

Great shot of what I hope to be able to see/emulate tonight Pete,
thanks

Just one thing... do I just open the shutter and hope that I catch
something, or do I keep looking up and try to click when I see one -
though I guess I'd never be quick enough !
I'll not be staying out too late as I have to be up at 05:00 for work
in the morning

Hi Nick,

No - keep the shutter open for an extended exposure. Set your camera
to a high sensitivity and your lens as far open as it'll go. Short
exposures are best for digital cameras - say 30s up to a minute. If
you're time challenged this evening, my advice would be to go to bed
and set your alarm for 03:00 so you can enjoy the last hour. Of course
if it clouds over for you in this time then there are no comebacks -
ok?!
--
Pete
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk

On Sun, 12 Aug 2007 08:30:07 +0100, Pd wrote
(in article ) :

Pete Lawrence wrote:

Here's my first (and probably last!) Perseid of the season so far.
[...]
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk/meteors...M-crop_640.jpg

Nice one.

I sat out for twenty minutes in my back garden staring up at the sky
last night around 2300, didn't see a single thing. Mind you, here in
town, Cassiopeia is only just emerging from the orange glow of light
pollution. Sometimes I hate living in the Northern Hemisphere.



seeing tonight is very good here in market harborough, and I began with a
fine view of the ISS, As to perseids- sod all from 2 hours observation
between 10 and midnight- about three meteors, which is what I might expect
from a normal 'non shower' night. Nice view of the milky way, perseus, cass
and associated milky patches of nebulosity though.

Simon Dobbs wrote:

As to perseids- sod all from 2 hours observation
between 10 and midnight- about three meteors, which is what I might expect
from a normal 'non shower' night. Nice view of the milky way, perseus, cass
and associated milky patches of nebulosity though.

Seven meteors and a flash from Iridium 30 - quite pleased with that.
After a cloudy start at 0200, the sky cleared by about 0230.

I blame a bit of haze in the east for my mistaking Mars for Aldebaran.
I just thought Taurus was having an odd shape evening.

--
Pd

In article , Pd
writes
Steve Wolstenholme wrote:

On Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:16:15 +0100, Pete Lawrence
wrote:

Meteors are statistical beasts and even in high activity showers you
can go for ages without seeing anything. Observing close to dawn will
increase the chances of seeing a meteor markedly. Satellites are more
predictable and I normally only have to wait a few minutes before the
first one can be spotted from my garden.

It's the unpredictability that makes seeing a meteor more rewarding.

Indeed - like a lovely day in spring.

For predictability kudos, it's always fun to know when there is about to
be an Iridium flare, so you can point up and say "ooh look, a flash from
the heavens" about ten seconds before it happens.


Ha ha... yes I know that feeling... I checked Heavens Above on 31st Dec
1999 before going to a party later that night... Heard later that
evening...

"Oooh how did you know that was going to happen?"

"Can you tell the future?"

Etc., etc.
--
Wendy Tinley

http://www.theigloo.co.uk/

In article , Pete Lawrence
writes
It's awkward I know but 20 mins is reaqlly too short for a meteor
watch. An hour is much more likely to reveal something. Also, the
number of meteors you will see depends on the height of the radiant
above the horizon and the time of night you are observing. You're
likely to see more meteors after 1am through to dawn (~4:30am) BST.

We were really lucky then last night by the sounds of it...

We went outside at 10.00pm to observe the ISS and Shuttle going over...
what a beautiful site in a virtually cloud free night. We saw them at
approximately the same time last night but patchy cloudy spoilt the view
a tad. However we both noticed a flash from the vehicles in the same
part of the sky on both nights... presumably a reflection off of a solar
panel.

Anyway, during the observation a beautiful, long Perseid was spotted...
during this time there were planes flying over as well... The thought
struck me that I was seeing the skies thru the ages... i.e. pre
industrial man would observe the meteors, our Grandparents the planes
and the meteors and we see all three...

I wonder what the skies will be like 500 years from now...
--
Wendy Tinley

http://www.theigloo.co.uk/

Pete Lawrence wrote:
Here's my first (and probably last!) Perseid of the season so far. A
crop from the original frame showing the meteor close to Cygnus. The
meteor occurred close to the edge of the full frame which was taken
with a 16mm lens - hence the curvature in the meteor's trail.

http://www.digitalsky.org.uk/meteors...M-crop_640.jpg

We did 02:00 to 03:00 in a splendidly dark patch of kent (Farthing Common
nr. Folkestone)

Saw 20 to 30 Perseids with a smattering of sporadics, many of these coming
from due south so could be another old radiant.

Nothing like one night i remember a decade or so ago. Sat at the computer in
a darkened kitchen near dawn I noticed flashes lighting up the garden. Went
out to see green / red fireballs, bright enough to cast shadows along with
simultaneous "popping" sounds as they came in. These sounds still seem
contentious. Long lasting luminous trails.... a truly amazing sight.

I forget what shower it was but it was 24 hours early. Didn't wake everyone
up to see it as I thought it would be even better over the predicted peak a
day later.

Turned out the prediction was wrong and i had caught them purely by chance.

Does anyone remember the shower? I would like to be able to look for records
of it...

Les

--
Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct.

"These people believe the souls of fried space aliens inhabit their
bodies and hold soup cans to get rid of them. I should care what they
think?"...Valerie Emmanuel

Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

Les Hemmings wrote:

I forget what shower it was but it was 24 hours early. Didn't wake
everyone up to see it as I thought it would be even better over the
predicted peak a day later.

Turned out the prediction was wrong and i had caught them purely by
chance.
Does anyone remember the shower? I would like to be able to look for
records of it...

Les

Bit of digging in the archives... It was the '98 Leonids.

L


--
Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct.

"These people believe the souls of fried space aliens inhabit their
bodies and hold soup cans to get rid of them. I should care what they
think?"...Valerie Emmanuel

Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

Hazy in Edinburgh at 2am Monday. Limiting magnitude 3. Saw 1 Perseid in 40
minutes.

FoFP

On Sun, 12 Aug 2007 02:16:29 +0100, Pete Lawrence
wrote:

Here's my first (and probably last!) Perseid of the season so far. A
crop from the original frame showing the meteor close to Cygnus. The
meteor occurred close to the edge of the full frame which was taken
with a 16mm lens - hence the curvature in the meteor's trail.

http://www.digitalsky.org.uk/meteors...M-crop_640.jpg

Not a Perseid!

http://www.digitalsky.org.uk/meteors...Cygnid_800.jpg
--
Pete
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk

Steve Wolstenholme wrote:
On Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:16:15 +0100, Pete Lawrence
wrote:

Meteors are statistical beasts and even in high activity showers you
can go for ages without seeing anything. Observing close to dawn will
increase the chances of seeing a meteor markedly. Satellites are more
predictable and I normally only have to wait a few minutes before the
first one can be spotted from my garden.

It's the unpredictability that makes seeing a meteor more rewarding.


Since the Leonids a few years ago when I was counting 8-10 per minute I
get impatient with last night's 2 in 45 minutes ! I've been spoiled