Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Maybe?
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:32 pm
Traditionally one of the best showers but also it seems in the last few years one of the most clouded out!
It might be nice if a few of us from the club
got together to observe this as a group.
Does anyone have any interest?
I will mention the shower at the meeting on wed and see then,
also...
it might be an opportunity to see the impact mark on Jupiter....
All weather dependant of course...
From Terry Mosleys monthly email...
The best known of the annual showers will reach maximum on the afternoon of August 12, but as the peak is fairly broad we should see good meteor rates on the nights of both 11/12 and 12/13 August. In fact, some early members of the shower are already appearing, and rates will gradually increase until the maximum, and then decline rather more quickly, with the last ones being see around 18 August. The radiant lies close to Alpha Persei at maximum, and any meteor appearing in the general region of the famous 'Double Cluster' in Perseus to slightly North of Alpha Persei from now until about 18 August will almost certainly be a Perseid. The meteors are fast, and often bright. However, moonlight will interfere with the early part of the shower, with Full Moon on 6 August, and the Last Quarter Moon rising at the end of twilight on the date of maximum. Towards the end of the shower there will be a short opportunity to observe between the end of twilight and moonrise.
However a Last Quarter Moon is not so bright as to prevent observation, so do have a look if skies are clear around 11-15 August. Maximum rates would be about 80 per hour under ideal conditions: This year we might see around 40-50 on the night of 12-13 August if the sky is totally clear.
It might be nice if a few of us from the club
got together to observe this as a group.
Does anyone have any interest?
I will mention the shower at the meeting on wed and see then,
also...
it might be an opportunity to see the impact mark on Jupiter....
All weather dependant of course...
From Terry Mosleys monthly email...
The best known of the annual showers will reach maximum on the afternoon of August 12, but as the peak is fairly broad we should see good meteor rates on the nights of both 11/12 and 12/13 August. In fact, some early members of the shower are already appearing, and rates will gradually increase until the maximum, and then decline rather more quickly, with the last ones being see around 18 August. The radiant lies close to Alpha Persei at maximum, and any meteor appearing in the general region of the famous 'Double Cluster' in Perseus to slightly North of Alpha Persei from now until about 18 August will almost certainly be a Perseid. The meteors are fast, and often bright. However, moonlight will interfere with the early part of the shower, with Full Moon on 6 August, and the Last Quarter Moon rising at the end of twilight on the date of maximum. Towards the end of the shower there will be a short opportunity to observe between the end of twilight and moonrise.
However a Last Quarter Moon is not so bright as to prevent observation, so do have a look if skies are clear around 11-15 August. Maximum rates would be about 80 per hour under ideal conditions: This year we might see around 40-50 on the night of 12-13 August if the sky is totally clear.