The Perseids are Coming!

[GaiaLove]

I love astronomy, this annual event is one of my favs

July 31, 2009: Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, the source of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Although the shower won't peak until August 11th and 12th, the show is already getting underway.

Brian Emfinger of Ozark, Arkansas, photographed this early Perseid just after midnight on Sunday, July 26th:

"I used an off-the-shelf digital camera to capture this fireball and its smoky trail," says Emfinger. "It was a bright one!"

Don't get too excited, cautions Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "We're just in the outskirts of the debris stream now. If you go out at night and stare at the sky, you'll probably only see a few Perseids per hour."

"Earth passes through the densest part of the debris stream sometime on August 12th. Then, you could see dozens of meteors per hour."

read more

This graph shows the increase in meteors so far;

[GaiaLove]

Looking northeast around midnight on August 12th

[peaceandlove]

Thank you GaiaLove for the reminder!

August 12, 2009 Perseids

EarthSky, A Clear Voice for Science

And when we say August 12, we mean that morning … not that night. These typically fast and bright meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus, and, like all meteors in annual showers, they cover a large part of the sky. The Perseids are considered by many people to be the year’s best shower when the moon is out of the way during the shower’s peak. Unfortnately, this year’s moon is not totally out of the way during the Perseids. The slightly waning gibbous moon rises around midnight – just as the Perseids start to pick up steam. Nonetheless, you should be able to catch some Perseid meteors before moonrise – and even after . The Perseids tend to strengthen in number as midnight ebbs toward dawn. Although not a favorable year, these meteors are often bright and frequently leave persistent trains. What’s more, enhanced activity may be in the works, so perhaps enough brighter meteors can overcome the moonlit glare to make this year’s production worthwhile. From late night on Tuesday, August 11 till dawn on Wednsday, August 12, a decent sprinkling of Perseid meteors may adorn this summer night, despite the pesky moon. Lie back and watch meteors until dawn’s light washes the stars, moon and planets from the sky.

SOURCE: http://www.earthsky.org/article/eart...r-shower-guide

[GaiaLove]

[Marian-Librarian]

One of my favorites, too!
I used to sit ouside in a lawn chair with a chimena going with my children to watch....oh....

there's another shower in November, not as big...I forget the name....

[Marian-Librarian]

GL...

Nice graphics, thanks for posting this info!

[GaiaLove]

Originally Posted by Marian-Librarian

there's another shower in November, not as big...I forget the name....

The Leonids, this year November 17 + 18

Historically, the Leonids have produced some of the greatest meteor storms in history, with rates as high as many thousands of meteors per hour. These storms often recur in cycles of 33 years. During the last several years, we have seen more of a whimper than a growl from Leo the Lion, with a maximum of perhaps 10-15 meteors per hour. In 2009, astrronomers are anticipating on the possibility of a stronger return, with perhaps double the number of meteors – or maybe even a meteor storm. (Astronomers hasten to remind us: there are no guarantees!) But with the new moon falling on November 16, we’re guaranteed of dark skies, so the 2009 Leonid display is well worth checking out. Like the October Orionids, the Leonids tend to pick up steam after midnight and to put out the greatest meteor numbers just before dawn. Watch for these extremely swift, often bright Leonid meteors (half of which leave persistent trains!) between midnight and dawn on November 17 and 18.


EarthSky's meteor shower guide for 2009

[lucrum]

I so so soooo hate that I'm missing this event. Clouds all over the place, all the time. Mornings can be clear with blue skies, but by noon we usually got clouds all over. This summer has been particulary bad, with only about a handful of sunny days.

Rain is good, by all means...but can I have some moderation, please!! :P

[dagon]

I slept outside last night. it was quite a show. it was so good I missed an appointment at 730 am this morning.. oops...

[DoctorWho]

Took the wife out into the middle of nowhere with our dog. My wife didn't like being out there as she was afraid some lookey was going to jump out of the corn field and hijack us. I didn't feel fear at all. The dog was indifferent. So withthe time we were out there we saw one bright one. After that the moon was coming up over the corn and was light polluting the sky. We may try again tonight.
Bill "the Doctor"

[lucrum]

The sky broke up partly last night, but there was a thin layer of fog that made it hard to even see a single star. Couldn't catch a glimpse of anything. Doesn't look mucher better for tonight, heavy clouds coming in from all directions...

I'm so tired of clouds...lol