Daggers Posted 11 August 2007 Posted 11 August 2007 Shooting stars are set to grace the night sky with a spectacular light display this weekend. The annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak during the early hours of Monday, but it will be visible from Saturday night until Tuesday morning. The celestial show will be most apparent in the north-eastern part of the sky near the Perseus constellation. If the skies remain clear, it will offer stargazers the best opportunity for a few years to see the Perseids. The shower this year coincides with a new Moon, providing sky watchers with the dark skies necessary for excellent observing conditions. "If we're lucky, on Sunday night and Monday morning we might see as many as 100 meteors an hour," said Dr Robert Massey from the UK's Royal Astronomical Society. "But the usual caveat applies: you still need good weather." The best viewing conditions will be where the sky is clearest and darkest. However, meteors should be visible, to a lesser degree, in cities despite light pollution and smog. "You will see them almost wherever you are, so it's worth a look," Dr Massey added. Both hemispheres will receive good views but the prime locations will be Western Europe and North America. Watchers will get the best of the display from about 2200 BST (2100 GMT) on Sunday 12 August, which will peak just before sunrise on Monday 13 August. Tiny particles The annual Perseid showers are caused by small bits of debris, many no bigger than a grain of sand, that enter the Earth's atmosphere when our orbit passes through the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet. These particles travel at very high speeds, reaching up to 50 kilometres per second (32 miles per second), and burn up in the atmosphere. This causes the air around them to get extremely hot, which produces the streak of light that we see. "It's a spectacular phenomenon that everyone can enjoy. The great thing is that you don't need any equipment apart from your eyes," Dr Massey said. "It's a laid back form of astronomy. You can go outside, look up at the sky and enjoy it. And that's really what it's about." As an added bonus, watchers should be able to see Mars, which will be in view as a bright red dot in the eastern sky after midnight.
Trumpet Posted 12 August 2007 Posted 12 August 2007 I saw one last night! It went really slow and i thought it was an airplane, but it had no lights... so it must have been one. Makes sense now, i'll be keeping an eye out tonight
Floating Fox Posted 12 August 2007 Posted 12 August 2007 I saw one last night! It went really slow and i thought it was an airplane, but it had no lights... so it must have been one. Makes sense now, i'll be keeping an eye out tonight How can you see something if it had no lights I just watched the ISS fly round the earth
davieG Posted 12 August 2007 Posted 12 August 2007 A lovely starry night but the only activity at the moment is a couple of aeroplanes
Sods Posted 12 August 2007 Posted 12 August 2007 A lovely starry night but the only activity at the moment is a couple of aeroplanes Aye, too cloudy here apperently.
Flynny Posted 12 August 2007 Posted 12 August 2007 Wow, fantastic night as far as visibility goes. Just sat out for 5 minutes and saw three. They were spaced quite widely across the sky, but all north-ish. I was facing almost due north, there was one went right above, one about 70 degrees to my left, and one low(ish) on the horizon straight ahead.
Simi Posted 12 August 2007 Posted 12 August 2007 Wow, fantastic night as far as visibility goes. Just sat out for 5 minutes and saw three. They were spaced quite widely across the sky, but all north-ish. I was facing almost due north, there was one went right above, one about 70 degrees to my left, and one low(ish) on the horizon straight ahead. Can you make me some sort of video please? I can't be bothered to look out my window.
lildave3 Posted 12 August 2007 Posted 12 August 2007 Can you make me some sort of video please?I can't be bothered to look out my window. My work here is done.
samingram_uk Posted 12 August 2007 Posted 12 August 2007 Seen one friday night. Made a wish and all that
Raj Posted 13 August 2007 Posted 13 August 2007 Wish i lived in the Countryside Stayed up until 11,saw one! Then happened to wake up at 2am and saw FcUk all!!!!! But for all people who are interested in Stargazing here are a couple of good websites for info--- http://www.heavens-above.com http://forum.skyatnightmagazine.com HAPPY STARGAZING!!!!
Raj Posted 13 August 2007 Posted 13 August 2007 How can you see something if it had no lights I just watched the ISS fly round the earth Currently the Shuttle is docked with the ISS,as it is doing some maintenance work! ISS travels at 17,000 mph at a height of 200 miles!!! Sorry,but im a closet stargazer and get abit excited!!!!
Guest Posted 13 August 2007 Posted 13 August 2007 Cool! I wanna see them! Didn't see anything. Boo hiss.
Daggers Posted 13 August 2007 Author Posted 13 August 2007 Saw a couple in Kett'rin but I fell asleep in the chair. Then I got cold and went to bed. Stupid outdoors. Why don't they heat it at night? Stupid government.
Raj Posted 13 August 2007 Posted 13 August 2007 Saw about ten in ten minutes. Cool! Whoppee for you!!!
Trumpet Posted 13 August 2007 Posted 13 August 2007 How can you see something if it had no lights I just watched the ISS fly round the earth I meant the strobe lights which a plane has on its wings. I realised i actually saw the ISS the night before.
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