Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Negin -(Universe) on 12/08/2007 15:12:04
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is anyone else watching the spectacular view in the night sky???? it's between 10-11 right???
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clear sky dependant, but i shall try. the Perseid meteor shower will be visable in the uk between midnight and 4am.
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from the times
Where will you be between midnight and 4am on August 13? If you plan to be tucked up in bed with the curtains drawn, think again, because you might be missing out on a truly cosmic experience – a rare unspoilt view of a spectacular meteor shower.
There is something magical about catching sight of a shooting star as it streaks across the night sky. So imagine the thrill of looking up to see dozens – maybe hundreds – of shooting stars as they rain down from the darkness.
That’s what will happen on the second weekend of August, when the Perseid meteor shower hits earth. At the height of the action, a shooting star will light up the night sky every few seconds.
This astonishing natural firework display occurs as the earth passes through a trail of debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle, which last swung into our solar system in 1992. Tiny grains of dust and ice will collide with the earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 30 miles per second, each creating an arc of incandescent light.
The phenomenon occurs every year, but 2007 will be special because the arrival of the Perseids will coincide with a new moon. Usually, moonlight makes it difficult for the human eye to pick out most of the individual meteors, but against a velvety-black sky the display will be mind-blowing.
To view the Perseids, you don’t need any special equipment or expertise, but you do need to get as far as possible from the light pollution that blights much of modern Britain. With the meteors visible across large parts of the northern hemisphere, it’s worth plotting your whereabouts: countryside or beach; the Highlands of Scotland or the Greek islands?
Dr Francisco Diego, an astronomer at University College London, suggests heading south for longer nights and increased chances of cloudless skies. “Almost anywhere in the Mediterranean should be ideal, as long as you are away from artificial light,” he says. “Morocco and Tunisia would also be wonderful.”
Diego will be in the Canaries to accompany a group of 20 astro-tourists, who will spend three nights on the island of La Palma, viewing the meteors from the rim of an extinct volcano, the site of one of the world’s most important observatories.
The trip is being organised by the tour operator Explore, which says it is taking bookings from amateur astronomers and regular travellers looking for a holiday with a difference. Diego suggested La Palma for the six-night trip because of the island’s reliable climate and almost complete lack of light pollution.
“We’ll be staying at sea level, but viewing from the observatory at Roque de los Muchachos, which is on the rim of the crater at 2,400 metres. It’s an incredibly dramatic location, literally above the clouds. The altitude is a key factor because most of the dust and smoke that normally obscures our view of the night sky is in the lower atmosphere. We’ll be above that.”
Although La Palma promises peerless views of the Perseids, it should also be possible to see them from locations across the UK and Ireland. Rob Edwards, head of science education at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, says anyone with a “reasonably clear sky” should get a view. “Just go outside with a deckchair, blankets and a flask of coffee. Avoid looking at any artificial lights. It will take your eyes anywhere between 30 seconds and 30 minutes to adapt fully to the dark.
“It’s not essential to go somewhere remote. I expect to see meteors from my back garden in west London.”
The view will improve as the night progresses and the earth turns, pointing us in the direction of the oncoming meteors. “It’s like driving your car into a rain shower,” explains Diego. “You get more raindrops on the front windscreen than on the back window.” Because of this, the best time to see the shower will be between midnight and dawn. Hence the need for caffeine.
Clear, dark skies should also provide sensational views of the galaxy beyond. “If you get well away from city lights, you ought to be able to see the Milky Way clearly – a great cloud of 300 billion stars,” says Edwards. “It’s well worth taking a pair of binoculars and just enjoying the view.” With a telescope you may also be able to study Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.
WHERE TO SEE THE SHOW
Astronomical events are being planned across the country over the four days of galactic activity. The University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory, near Alderley Edge (01477 571339, www.jb.man.ac.uk), will host a Perseid Meteor Shower Party on August 11. Admission by ticket only: adults £6, children £5.
In Herstmonceux, East Sussex, the Observatory Science Centre (01323 832731, www.the-observatory.org ) is planning a Perseid Shooting Star Evening on August 11, from 7pm to 10pm, with a guest speaker, barbecue and a chance to use the centre’s telescopes. Tickets £19.50.
How to catch the falling stars
THE PERSEIDS will be visible on clear nights from about August 10 to August 15, peaking on August 13. For the best views, avoid smog, cloud and light pollution. The second half of the night, between midnight and dawn, should provide the best of the action, with two or three meteors visible every minute. The meteors will appear to radiate from a single point in the sky – the constellation of Perseus – well above the horizon, towards the northeast.
Take a deckchair, hot drinks and warm clothes. Use binoculars for stargazing, but the naked eye to scan for meteors. And don’t fall asleep. Viewing conditions won’t be this good again until 2015.
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/article1869865.ece
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there is an old saying in my country that when there is a meteor shower whatever an individual wishes for it will come true and as my exam results are coming this week I know exactly what i'm wishing for!
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and by the way thank you for the detailed information you sent Paul
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Negin,
that link i think was too commercial. this is from NASA
Great Perseids
07.11.2007
+ Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing list
July 11, 2007: Got a calendar? Circle this date: Sunday, August 12th. Next to the circle write "all night" and "Meteors!" Attach the above to your refrigerator in plain view so you won't miss the 2007 Perseid meteor shower.
"It's going to be a great show," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center. "The Moon is new on August 12th--which means no moonlight, dark skies and plenty of meteors." How many? Cooke estimates one or two Perseids per minute at the shower's peak.
Above: A Perseid fireball photographed August 12, 2006, by Pierre Martin of Arnprior, Ontario, Canada. [Larger image]
The source of the shower is Comet Swift-Tuttle. Although the comet is nowhere near Earth, the comet's tail does intersect Earth's orbit. We glide through it every year in August. Tiny bits of comet dust hit Earth's atmosphere traveling 132,000 mph. At that speed, even a smidgen of dust makes a vivid streak of light--a meteor--when it disintegrates. Because Swift-Tuttle's meteors fly out of the constellation Perseus, they are called "Perseids."
Note: In the narrative that follows, all times are local. For instance, 9:00 pm means 9:00 pm in your time zone, where you live.
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The show begins between 9:00 and 10:00 pm on Sunday, August 12th, when Perseus rises in the northeast. This is the time to look for Perseid Earthgrazers--meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping the surface of a pond.
"Earthgrazers are long, slow and colorful; they are among the most beautiful of meteors," says Cooke. He cautions that an hour of watching may net only a few of these--"at most"--but seeing even one makes the long night worthwhile.
As the night unfolds, Perseus climbs higher and the meteor rate will increase many-fold. "By 2 am on Monday morning, August 13th, dozens of Perseids may be flitting across the sky every hour." The crescendo comes before dawn when rates could exceed a meteor a minute.
For maximum effect, Cooke advises, "get away from city lights." The brightest Perseids can be seen from cities, he allows, but the greater flurry of faint, delicate meteors is visible only from the countryside. Scouts, this is a good time to go camping.
Above: The eastern sky, viewed during the hours before sunrise on Monday, Aug. 13, 2007.
And there's a bonus: Mars. In the constellation Taurus, just below Perseus, Mars shines like a bright red star. Many of the Perseids you see on August 12th and 13th will flit right past it. Instead of following the meteor, you may find you have a hard time taking your eyes off Mars. There's something bewitching about it, maybe the red color or perhaps the fact that it doesn't twinkle like a true star. You stare at Mars and it stares right back.
Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter in December 2007. NASA is taking advantage by launching a new mission to Mars--the Phoenix Lander. Phoenix will touch down on an arctic plain where it can dig into the ground and investigate layers of soil and ice, searching for, among other things, a habitable zone for primitive microbes. The launch window opens on August 3rd, so by the time the Perseids arrive Phoenix may be hurtling toward the Red Planet. Landing: late Spring 2008.
It's something to think about at four in the morning, with Mars rising in the east, meteors flitting across the sky, and a summer breeze rustling the legs of your pajamas.
Maybe you should go circle your calendar again.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/11jul_greatperseids.htm
will you be taking photo's? i will try but my "stuff" i fear is too primative...ie, cra*
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We don't do astronomical events in the UK, normally all you see is the underside of the cloud cover illuminated by the street lights etc.
The only time I have seen the Heavens was when I went to Ularu (Ayers rock).
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thanks again Paul, so we'll be seeing Mars too if we're lucky. I will definately try to take some photos but I dont think they're going to come out clear but I'll try anyway.
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they can't turn out any worse than mine. Like syhprum says, normally all we see are the underside of clouds.
fingers crossed for tonight.
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Perseus is to the left and slightly higher than mars for those in London. Mars is quite easy to find as it rises in the east, is quite bright with a yellow tinge to it and is just below small collection of stars very close together called M45 the Maia nebula which is easily viewable to the naked eye after a few minutes away from bright lights.
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However last nights viewing was rubbish,i looked for an hour and saw only three and they were so short lived that if i had blinked i would have possibly missed them.
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We've been watching them for the past week so we shall certainly be on duty tonight. Some nights there have been quite a few, other nights hardly any.
We're fortunate enough to live out in the country away from any light pollution. Just down the road from us is a farm lane that leads down to 3 lakes; that's where we go. There are no lights whatsoever apart from the glow of Banbury just on the horizon.
We spread a blanket out and just lay there watching.
As is typical, the nights so far have been crystal clear but today is cloudy. The cloud is due to clear a bit this evening so hopefully by peak shower time we'll be able to see them.
I'm going to try setting up a couple of video cameras tonight but I'm not hopeful of getting good results.
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I can't wait...YAYYYYY !!
.........and thank you to Eth for inviting us all to his little hide-away for a midnight early hours picnic ans visual treat !!
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I tried to resist posting this reply, but, being the pedant I am, I can't hold it back any longer.
What we are watching are, hopefully, meteors. Meteorites are meteors that fall to Earth & they can give you a nasty headache. (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fsick%2F4.gif&hash=c3c1885c4ac1d09afd166547b63c2842)
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I tried to resist posting this reply, but, being the pedant I am, I can't hold it back any longer.
Doc's other website
http://www.apostrophe.fsnet.co.uk/examples_1.htm
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I tried to resist posting this reply, but, being the pedant I am, I can't hold it back any longer.
Doc's other website
http://www.apostrophe.fsnet.co.uk/examples_1.htm
Too damned right! Abuse of the apostrophe is a subject close to my heart.
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Too damned right! Abuse of the apostrophe is a subject close to my heart.
Thats' what i thought [:I]
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Too damned right! Abuse of the apostrophe is a subject close to my heart.
Thats' what i thought [:I]
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fhitting%2F2.gif&hash=145489d02b30678baf42ff3e5490a9ba)
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' Apostrophe's ' have rights' too ,,,,''''
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' Apostrophe's ' have rights' too ,,,,''''
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fhitting%2F2.gif&hash=145489d02b30678baf42ff3e5490a9ba) again
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did you just email the show, Doc?
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Is this something we can view here in California..??? It was very clear and sparkly last night!
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Yes its the same for everyone just look up in a NE DIRECTION.
Above and to the left of mars
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did you just email the show, Doc?
Yup. Eth of Mountfitchett? Damnable cheek!
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I've just been outside for about 10 minutes & I saw 6. 2 of them were so brief I hardly saw them, 4 were average, and 2 were quite bright & long-lasting.
The interesting stuff is due to start in around half hour. I'll report on what I see later.
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YAYYYY !!..I saw three then called the fam out !..we only have a light-polluted-wall-restricted piece of sky to look at but we saw six more in total...all in the last twenty minutes !!
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I Seen two, mind you its probably because im viewing from the kitchen window. To cold outside :)
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I've just been going out into the garden periodically to watch rather than down by the lakes (too far from coffee down there). I've seen quite a few and some of those have been really impressive. I'm going out for a last look in a minute then off to bed.
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Yes its the same for everyone just look up in a NE DIRECTION.
Above and to the left of mars
Thanks Michael!
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There's one !! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fstars%2F7.gif&hash=58bd7cd597e6706748a87f397e319033) did you see it ?...did ya ?
Ok..it's more like a pulsar !! [???]
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I hope it is still happening tonight by the time it gets dark here!Won't even get dark here for another four hours!
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I hope it is still happening tonight by the time it gets dark here!Won't even get dark here for another four hours!
Try closing your eyes !!
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Thanks Neily! Is cool or what! I'm Jealous..I see that one thanks!
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I hope it is still happening tonight by the time it gets dark here!Won't even get dark here for another four hours!
Try closing your eyes !!
OK There closed!! *smiles*
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There's one !! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fstars%2F7.gif&hash=58bd7cd597e6706748a87f397e319033) did you see it ?...did ya ?
Ok..it's more like a pulsar !! [???]
i would say thats more like the big bang
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LOL LOL!
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There's one !! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fstars%2F7.gif&hash=58bd7cd597e6706748a87f397e319033) did you see it ?...did ya ?
Ok..it's more like a pulsar !! [???]
i would say thats more like the big bang
Or a little poof! [:D]
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There i was, midnight on the roof. Binoculars, camera, jumper and 20 fags...what do i see? Cloud, not even the moon!!! [:(!]
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Binoculars? You wouldn't have needed those. If anything, they would hamper your viewing as they restrict your field of vision.
Not wishing to upset you or anything, but the sky was crystal clear here again so I had a wonderful view of the meteors. Oh the joys of living in the country! [^]
You couldn't see the moon? That's hardly surprising as it was new moon last night.
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last night was rain, rain, rain. But this morning we've got less clouds. Any chance of more meteorites tonight if it stays clear?
pete
inthehills
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I've been watching them for the past week and they'll be going for another week yet; but their frequency will diminish daily.
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There i was, midnight on the roof. Binoculars, camera, jumper and 20 fags...what do i see? Cloud, not even the moon!!! [:(!]
It might have been less cloudy if you weren't smoking !! [;)]
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There i was, midnight on the roof. Binoculars, camera, jumper and 20 fags...what do i see? Cloud, not even the moon!!! [:(!]
It might have been less cloudy if you weren't smoking !! [;)]
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Flol%2F3.gif&hash=4a73471b3f75f56b8b692ee78b853504)
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Oh my Gawwwwd !!
I just saw one that lasted about two minutes !!...It went slowly across the sky and was accompanied by a whooshing grumbling sound and had two flashing chaperons with it too !!...amazing !!
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i spent 2 hours in the desert just outside of las vegas. i saw not a single meteor!!! HIGHLY disappointing show. clear skies, moonless night. couldnt ask for better viewing conditions. and i saw nada! i want my money back. oh well, the orionids will be here soon.
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Oooh - when are they due?
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did i miss it? stupid being sick....
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I tried to resist posting this reply, but, being the pedant I am, I can't hold it back any longer.
What we are watching are, hopefully, meteors. Meteorites are meteors that fall to Earth & they can give you a nasty headache. (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fsick%2F4.gif&hash=c3c1885c4ac1d09afd166547b63c2842)
I am resisting pointing out that they were "earth skimming meteors"
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I saw about one per minute in about one hour around midnight - in the uk.
Not dazzling but significantly better than the one per night that you tend to see at other times.
Shooting stars are really annoying - they are always on the edge of your vision - you really need an action replay!
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There's one !! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fstars%2F7.gif&hash=58bd7cd597e6706748a87f397e319033) did you see it ?...did ya ?
Ok..it's more like a pulsar !! [???]
or, little bang little crunch