BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: open mike
Date: 12 Aug 05 - 07:51 PM

look to the north east...just to the right of the big dipper
Perseus is near Cassiopiea...the big "W" in the sky. try again tonite!
i saw a monster meteor which lit up not only the sky but the ground
and the trail lingered for many seconds..almost a minute!!
wow, man, the trails!!

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Ebbie
Date: 12 Aug 05 - 01:55 PM

If I'd been more patient, I might have seen them. At 1:30 AM I went outside and down the hill to a dark spot for about 15 minutes- didn't see even one. At 4:00 I went to a dark window and watched the sky for about 5 minutes. nada Lots of stars in a very pretty sky but nuffin' movin'.

We're having unusually bright clear skies the last few days, so we stand a good chance at seeing them. However, the days are still fairly long; the sun rises at 5:15 and at 4 o'clock the sky is already pretty bright. About a shade darker than 'stone washed' blue jeans.

I haven't seen a meteor shower since the 50s or 60s.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Peterr
Date: 12 Aug 05 - 10:34 AM

But then I've just realised I've missed it anyway - perhaps I'll try staying up late late tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Peterr
Date: 12 Aug 05 - 10:33 AM

If the last 15 years or so are any guide, it will be cloudy AGAIN in Cornwall on the best Perseid night.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 12 Aug 05 - 01:43 AM

Well I looked for them but it was too cloudy early on and too light later. The sky has cleared somewhat but it's too light to see anything now.

Ah well.. maybe tonight.....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Pauline L
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 09:09 PM

Open Mike, that was a great idea (attending a star party). I did a Google search and found some good leads, but I don't have a car and I can't get anywhere I want to go. Damn again! I am writing on Thursday, 8/11, at 9:05 PM. Air pollution was really bad today. That will probably dim the show here. I went out to the grocery store this afternoon and had three acute asthma attacks. Damn!

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: open mike
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 02:55 PM

Space Weather News for August 11, 2005
http://spaceweather.com


The Perseid meteor shower is underway. The shower's broad peak extends from August 11th through 13th, with August 12th being best. If you get away from bright city lights and watch the sky between local midnight and dawn on Friday morning, August 12th, you can expect to see dozens to hundreds of meteors.


The planet Mars is out during the Perseid meteor shower, too. It's that bright red "star" high in the eastern sky before dawn. Many Perseid meteors will appear to fly past Mars on Friday morning--a pretty sight.


And speaking of Mars, beware the Mars Hoax. A rumor about the red planet continues to spread via email. The message claims that Mars will come so close to Earth on August 27th that it looks as big as the full Moon. In fact, Mars is approaching Earth for a close encounter in October--not August. October's close approach will indeed be beautiful, but Mars will never rival the Moon.


Get the full story, plus sky maps, pictures of Perseids, and solar activity updates at Spaceweather.com.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 11:20 AM

"I want to see the bright lights tonight."

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: open mike
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 01:30 AM

tomorrow night will be the high light..
i hope you find a ride, Pauline

some astronomy groups will be having
star parties.
\
check with Sky and Telescope magazine for listings

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Grab
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 07:39 AM

Cue the Lou and Peter Berryman song:-

"From Persi-ersi-ersi-ersi-erseus
They radi-adi-adi-adi-adiate,
Too many-many-many-many meteors
To esti-esti-esti-esti-estimate."

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: lady penelope
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 05:16 AM

Oooh, I think I'll try for that. Happily I live on the edge of a marsh (no street lighting) so I should be able to get a reasonable view!

I wonder if Parker would like to see them? I wonder if it would be a good idea to make it a surprise....... :)

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Pauline L
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 01:03 AM

Damn! Where I live, the lamps outside are so bright that I often can not see any stars at all! Does anyone with a car want to give me a ride somewhere to see the meteors? I've never seen them, and I'd really love to.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: open mike
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 07:20 PM

One of the web sitesw above mentions a specific place to tune in to hear radio signals related to meteors. I have heard of a differnt way:

The radio method

Simply tune in to a faraway radio station (between 800 and 1600 km away) whose frequency is not used by any local station. Usually, it is impossible to detect a radio signal from a distant transmitter. When a meteor appears (i.e. when a meteoroid passes through the upper atmosphere), however, the radio waves emitted by the radio station are reflected by the ionized column of air. As a result, the signal is detected for a brief moment. There are, however, other atmospheric phenomena, such as polar auroras and certain types of clouds, that cause signals to be detected. Radio waves can also be detected during temperature inversions, when they become trapped between masses of cold and warm air. In such cases, the wave can travel several hundred kilometres.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 06:12 PM

Missed them last time - I think it was cloudy. Used to live in Bradford - background light doesn't let you see much except brightest stars there. Will try to catch the shower if weather allows.
Quack!!!
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 04:32 AM

So the glorious 12th is upon us.... go out and see the meteors then go bag the first grouse.... I'll stick with the first option thanks!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: open mike
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 02:45 AM

i meant to say shower, but there was not room.
it is quite a show though. i went looking for
shooting stars last week and saw plenty. we
often take reclining lawn chairs or foam pads
so you can look at the sky without getting a
crick in your neck. The best place is far
from citylights...and a high place with no
obstacle obstructing the view. a pick up truck
with a mattress in it is good viewing platform.

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: freightdawg
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 11:43 PM

In "Rocky Mountain High" John Denver sings "I've seen it raining fire in the sky." What he was refering to was a camping trip where he and a bunch of buddies were able to view the Perseid meteor shower from high up in the Rocky Mountains.

Every time I see the Perseid meteor shower I think of JD and that song.

I'll be watching (clouds permitting, of course).

Freightdawg

Subject: RE: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: bbc
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 11:33 PM

I heard on the radio that, at about 4 am Friday morning, there should be about 4 each minute.

bbc

Subject: BS: Perseid meteor show. thur night fri morn
From: open mike
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 10:48 PM

for thos of you in the northern hemisphere..
at 2 a.m. in your local area watch the sky..

Space Weather News for 5 August 2005
http://spaceweather.com


PERSEID METEORS: Don't forget, the Perseid meteor shower peaks on Friday morning, August 12th. No matter where you live, the best time to look will be during the hours before local dawn when the constellation Perseus is high in the sky. While August 12th is best, the nights before and after the 12th can be good, too. Even now, sky watchers are seeing occasional bright Perseids before dawn.


Also, you can listen to the shower. Meteor radars are monitoring the skies above the USA; when a Perseid flies overhead, they record an audible "ping." Visit SpaceWeather.com for live audio, plus more information about the Perseids.


http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/22jul_perseids2005.htm

July 22, 2005: Got a calendar? Circle this date: Friday, August 12th. Next to the circle write "before sunrise" and "Meteors!" Attach all of the above to your refrigerator in plain view so you won't miss the 2005 Perseid meteor shower.

The Perseids come every year, beginning in late July and stretching into August. Sky watchers outdoors at the right time can see colorful fireballs, occasional outbursts and, almost always, long hours of gracefully streaking meteors. Among the many nights of the shower, there is always one night that is best. This year: August 12th.

The source of the shower is Comet Swift-Tuttle. Although the comet is nowhere near Earth, the comet's wide tail does intersect Earth's orbit. We glide through it every year in July and August. Tiny bits of comet dust hit Earth's atmosphere traveling 132,000 mph. At that speed, even a tiny smidgen of dust makes a vivid streak of light--a meteor--when it disintegrates. The shower is most intense when Earth is in the dustiest part of the tail.

Perseid meteors fly out of the constellation Perseus, hence their name. The best time to watch is during the hours before sunrise when Perseus is high in the sky: sky map. Between 2 a.m. and dawn on August 12th, if you get away from city lights, you could see hundreds of meteors. Scouts, this is a good time to go camping!

.............And there's a bonus: Mars.

In the constellation Aries, right beside Perseus, Mars is shining like a bright red star. Step outside before sunrise, look east, and you'll 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. It's steady. You stare at Mars and it stares right back.

(it)....outshines every star in the night sky, and it's getting brighter every night......