Hatrack River Forum: Leonid meteor show this Saturday night Nov 18th

This is topic Leonid meteor show this Saturday night Nov 18th in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/main/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=046045

Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :

link

quote:
Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Expected This Weekend

Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
SPACE.com Tue Nov 14, 3:15 PM ET

The annual Leonid meteor shower could produce a strong outburst this weekend for residents of the North America and Western Europe.

A brief surge of activity is expected begin around 11:45 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 18. In Europe, that corresponds to early Sunday morning, Nov. 19 at 4:45 GMT. The outburst could last up to two hours.

At the peak, people in these favorable locations could see up to 150 shooting stars per hour, or more than two per minute.

"We expect an outburst of more than 100 Leonids per hour," said Bill Cooke, the head of
NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Cooke notes that the shooting stars during this peak period are likely to be faint, however, created by very small meteoroid grains.

Elsewhere people will see the typically enjoyable Leonid display of a few meteors each hour, weather permitting and assuming dark skies away from city lights [Top 10 Leonids Facts].

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

I wonder if it will be visible as far south as Florida.

I think I saw a shooting star, once.

Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :

Only once? You must have really bad light pollution.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

Oh yeah?! Your mom has really bad light pollution! [Mad]

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Icarus:
I think I saw a shooting star, once.

John Wayne?

Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Icarus:
Oh yeah?! Your mom has really bad light pollution!

Yeah? Your momma's so fat, she's always causing total eclipses! [Mad]

Posted by anti_maven (Member # 9789) on :

Fools! Have you never read Day of the Triffids. I'll be in my bunker...

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

Oooo, celestial your momma jokes.

This must be what it looks like when adolescent astronomers gather in packs and there's a disagreement on the playground.

Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :

I saw a fireball once. I had to drive about 30 minutes north of Baltimore to get away from the lights, and just as I was pulling into a dark spot, I saw this bright yellow streak across the sky, like a contrail almost, but it faded very quickly. Several other people in the area saw it too.

Maybe I can talk Chris into a little late-night star-gazing this weekend. [Big Grin]

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

I saw a shooting star two years ago during the Leonid Shower whilst driving home from a friend's house. There aren't TOO many lights around the burbs here at night, but I certainly wouldn't be seeing a hundred an hour.

I'll have to take a gander up at the sky. This Saturday night when I get home from work. If I can gather the energy to raise my head up afterwards.

Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :

Man, this is the one thing I don't like about living in the PNW. I NEVER GET TO SEE THE LEONIDS. It is ALWAYS overcast when they appear!

One of these falls, I'm going to go down to Arizona and experience it.

Posted by The White Whale (Member # 6594) on :

quote:
Originally posted by anti_maven:
Fools! Have you never read Day of the Triffids. I'll be in my bunker...

No need for your bunker, just a super-soaker filled with saltwater. [Razz]

I remember several years ago (around 2002 I think) my mother and I saw the Leonids and stopped counting the meteors we saw at 700. Haven't seen anything like that since.

Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :

Icarus, I've seen the Leonids a few times in Orlando. About 10 or 12 years ago, it was pretty spectacular. Just make sure you get away from the lights.

Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :

The ultimate 2006 Astronomer put down:

Whats the difference between yo' momma and Pluto? They both be dogs, but they decided Pluto's too small to be a planet.

Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :

OOOoooo BURN!

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

Oh Snap!

Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :

Yo' momma's so fat she causes frame-dragging whenever she turns around.

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

I saw the Leonids several years ago which were some of the best in several decades.

As for "Can I see it?", the only obstacles are clouds, whether the peaks are happening when there is daylight in your locale, and if you can stay up (or wake up early) to see them, since all meteor showers have general peaks after local midnight, which is when your area is oriented "head-first" in the direction of the Earth's orbit, and thus plowing right through the comment trails that cause the annual meteor showers.

-Bok

Posted by Samarkand (Member # 8379) on :

I regularly see shooting stars. Sometimes when it's not quite dark yet. I heart Boulder!

And let's all try to cut back on polluting, shooting stars are pretty! And you get to make wishes.

Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Icarus:
Oh yeah?! Your mom has really bad light pollution!

Is it bad that I laughed really hard when I read this, and again every time another yo' momma joke was on the board.

I'm 12.

Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :

This year I was seeing a couple a minute during the "Perseds". We don't have light pollution here except from the darn milky way. Meteor showers are best after midnight because that's when the earth is leading with the edge you are standing on. Now, I just have to get myself to get up at 0X30 on a Sunday morning.

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Artemisia Tridentata:
This year I was seeing a couple a minute during the "Perseds". We don't have light pollution here except from the darn milky way. Meteor showers are best after midnight because that's when the earth is leading with the edge you are standing on. Now, I just have to get myself to get up at 0X30 on a Sunday morning.

I envy you, and you made my Dobsonian cry.

-Bok

Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :

Now that I'm no longer living in the city...

And I've actually got a work schedule that would allow me to witness some astronomical events...

And I've got access to an actual astronomy expert, who has a nice telescope, where I work...

Kansas has gone and ruined the past two events with cloud cover. No precipitation. Just cloud cover.

[Mad]

It wasn't even forecast to be cloudy yesterday! What gives?

*Shakes fist at mother nature*

Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :

Will it be visible here in San Diego?

Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :

If you can get away from city lights, then you have a good chance at seeing them.

Congratulations on the clear skies, btw.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

*sigh*

I don't think I'm gonna make it. I'm all but passing out already.

Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :

*cough*(wuss)*cough*

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

--|--

As you can see, I'm still holding out . . .

.

.

.

[Sleep]

Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :

I'd just like to personally give mother nature the middle finger once again for all the clouds tonight.

Previous four days: clear, or partly cloudy.
Today: overcast.
Next five days: clear, or partly cloudy.
Me: pissed.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

:-\

I wonder if there's a particular direction I should be looking (other than up!).

I went outside for about a half hour. The only direction where I have a pretty good view of the stars without light interference is to the East. Anyway, I didn't see anything--or at least, not anything clear enough to be sure I was really seeing anything. It's about forty degrees out, though, so finally I gave up and came back in.

Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :

Partly cloudy here in Virginia. Saw at least four during the half hour I was just out; back inside to warm up, I'll try again soon, but doesn't seem like an impressive show this year.

Posted by ginette (Member # 852) on :

Yes, me too saw four. Some were falling vertical, as if they dropped right on the earth and some were vertical, with a stripe of light behind them.
We were very lucky, it was raining when we left the house, but when we reached the hilltop in the woods, there was suddenly some clear sky.
I really liked it, never saw it before.
BTW I am in Denmark.

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

Too cloudy in New Jersey.

Alas.

Posted by Satlin (Member # 1593) on :

I missed it [Frown]

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

Ic, the name of the shower gives you a clue of where to look. Leonids = Constellation of Leo. The meteors appear to emanate from there (tracing their paths back will lead to Leo).

Same for the other periodic meteor showers.

-Bok

Posted by Leonide (Member # 4157) on :

This thread makes me feel appreciated.

Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :

Leo was barely over the horizon at 11:45. But East was indeed the right place to look. We were clouded out in MA (30 people came to the obsevatory anyway). I'm glad I didn't miss anything spectacular. I am told that the Leonids are the least exciting shower in general.

Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :

Poked my head out at 9:30 and there was complete cloud cover. <sniff>

Posted by Leonide (Member # 4157) on :

quote:
I am told that the Leonids are the least exciting shower in general.

Posted by libertygirl (Member # 8761) on :

Me and my sister went out at about 12:45 and lay in the middle of the road. There were no clouds and the sky was amazing. I'm not sure if we saw meteors but we saw 5 or 6 shooting star/meteors. It was really cool.

Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Leonide:

quote:
I am told that the Leonids are the least exciting shower in general.

Don't worry. Maybe you're just not his type. I'm sure your showers are as exciting as you want them to be. [Wink]