Meteor Shower this weekend

Peace

Hi All,m

Thought some might like to read this:
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/irish-skies-set-to-host-a-clestial-fireworks-display-1972041.html

Irish skies set to host a clestial fireworks display

By Linda Stewart


Friday December 11 2009

Keep your eyes on the skies this weekend as we are to be treated to the best display of shooting stars in years.

This year we’ll have the perfect conditions for viewing the Geminid meteor shower so Ireland will be one of the best places in the world to enjoy the celestial fireworks.

Observers viewing from a dark site could see up to 120 meteors per hour, or an average of about two per minute.

Some of them will be quite faint, but others will be brighter than the brightest stars, and some will even be brighter than Jupiter, which will be visible low in the southwesterly part of the sky during the early evening.

The weather forecast is for dry weather and night frosts this weekend, but fog at night could still hamper visibility.

Meteors are tiny bits of comets — or sometimes bits of minor planets or asteroids — which collide with the Earth's upper atmosphere at high speed and get burned away, giving the flash of light we call a meteor.

There are several major showers of meteors each year, when Earth passes through a particular stream of such particles. The best of these occurs in mid-December, and is called the Geminids because the meteors appear to come from the direction of the constellation Gemini.

While this shower occurs every year, sometimes the maximum occurs during daylight in Ireland, or there is a bright Moon to spoil the show.

But this weekend Earth will be passing through the densest part of the stream of particles on Sunday night in Ireland, and there will be no moonlight, making for ideal viewing conditions.

According to Terry Moseley, spokesman for the Irish Astronomical Association, the shower will start to become visible above Ireland from about 7pm each evening as Gemini rises in the east, but you won’t see many meteors until after 9pm and the best rates will occur after midnight each night.

“If you are really keen, the best time of all will be about 5am on Monday morning,” he said.

“To find Gemini, follow the diagonal line across the ‘bowl' of the Plough or Big Dipper, ie. from the top left star in the bowl to the bottom right star, and continue this line until you come to a pair of brightish stars, Castor and Pollux, the Heavenly Twins.

“The Geminid meteors are unusual in that they appear to be associated with a ‘dead' comet, called Phaethon. They are slower than most meteors.”

Terry advises observing well away from artificial light, which will seriously affect the number of meteors spotted.

The slow speed of the Geminids makes them ideal for photographing and you can send your best photos to the IAA website at www.irishastro.org .

- Linda Stewart

I might brave the cold at the weekend and try to snap a few shots. Then again i might not!!!!

DaireQuinlan

Irish Indo wrote:

“If you are really keen, the best time of all will be about 5am on Monday morning,” he said.

yeeks !

trishw78

Might make for an interesting trip to Hook Light house this weekend

pixbyjohn

http://www.k5kj.net/Leonids2001.HTM

DaireQuinlan

pixbyjohn wrote: »

http://www.k5kj.net/Leonids2001.HTM

High speed VHF communications through the medium of morse code is a very exciting aspect of Meteor showers

Anouilh ? Is that you ?

Fenster

If anybody around Galway wants help shooting the meteors I'll be glad to suggest locations and techniques.

trishw78

I shall be trying star trails anyone any suggestions on good websites etc. to be looking at...

DK32

Anyone on for heading up to Sallygap or Glendalough on Sunday night early hours of Monday morning?
Could be interesting and there should be 0 light pollution up there. So good for star trails, long bulb exposures and hopefully catch a couple of bright meteors.

If 5am is the best time then it might be worth hanging on a little while longer to catch the sunrise as well.

Peace

Fenster wrote: »

If anybody around Galway wants help shooting the meteors I'll be glad to suggest locations and techniques.

Will a shooting star turn up on a 30 second exposure or will it be lost as its not bright enough.

Obviously the longer the exposure the more chance of catching of a shooting star but like i said it could be lost...

Fenster

trishw78 wrote: »

I shall be trying star trails anyone any suggestions on good websites etc. to be looking at...

http://www.saratogaskies.com/articles/cookbook/index.html

pixbyjohn

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Anouilh ? Is that you ?

Its above your head :D:rolleyes:

Fenster

Peace wrote: »

Will a shooting star turn up on a 30 second exposure or will it be lost as its not bright enough.

Obviously the longer the exposure the more chance of catching of a shooting star but like i said it could be lost...

...I clicked reply 30 minutes ago, promptly got distracted and left. Yes. The longer your exposure, the greater the chance you have of picking up shooting stars.

PCPhoto

apparently over the weekend plenty to see ......well... loads of meteors fizzing across the sky.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/irish-skies-set-to-host-a-clestial-fireworks-display-1972041.html

Dink

Oooo thanks for that, 13 year old is mad about this stuff!

Now, what settings would be optimal for this type of shot....?

DK32

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055767431

Typhoon.

trishw78 wrote: »

Might make for an interesting trip to Hook Light house this weekend

I dare ya to stop in to loftus hall while your there....

paddylonglegs

anyone around for an impromptu meet up in the naas area later?

tempted some startrailing during the summer up the wicklow mountains but dew started to fall heavily so didn't want to risk the camera getting damaged. Other than that, haven't tried anything astronomical since. now to find a non light polluted area...

32finn

hey paddy, i was thinking of heading out the curragh later, if your around drop me a pm

Chorcai

Seen nothing last night in Drogheda

DK32

Saw a shooting star last night just after 11. No camera setup though and too much light pollution from street lights to get anything decent.

paddylonglegs

32finn wrote: »

hey paddy, i was thinking of heading out the curragh later, if your around drop me a pm

will give you a shout finn if i'm heading out alright

joeKel73

Saw about 10 in 30mins over Galway last night - one or two were very bright! Non of them passed my camera's frame of view though!

Also saw a group of three bright orange lights passing!! I'm assuming they were Chinese lanterns! Very bright and passed slowly... got photo, will put up later...

joeKel73

foto joe wrote: »

Also saw a group of three bright orange lights passing!! I'm assuming they were Chinese lanterns! Very bright and passed slowly... got photo, will put up later...

DK32

No hope of getting out last night. It was very overcast, I couldn't see any stars. Pity.

trishw78

Typhoon. wrote: »

I dare ya to stop in to loftus hall while your there....

Unfortunately real life stuff got in the way, but I did see some very bright ones Saturday night. But I will get to Hook at night.