MariannNOVA Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 for posting this on the curric Board -- I had totally forgot --which makes no sense b/c my b-day is tomorrow and I am always out there looking up at the sky in the middle of the night in the wee hours of my b-day. I am hijacking Jean's post and copying it here as she provided excellent information and this is a once a year event that you might not want to miss -- for our family, it is an annual summer event. Enjoy! The next 2 nights will be great nights to go out and watch a meteor shower! http://www.earthsky.org/skywatching/...r-the-perseids The Perseid meteor shower takes place each year when the earth passes through the path of pebbles and material that the Swift-Tuttle Comet leaves behind every time it passes through our solar system. Comets are big ice balls that, when they get closer to the sun, start melting--resulting in their leaving a trail of debris in their wake. Most meteors are only the size of a grain of sand or a pea, but some of them are a bit bigger and they can appear to be fantastic fireballs. This year the peak is expected to be on Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning (August 11th/12th) and Wednesday evening/Thursday morning (August 12th/13). Normally we suggest folks go out after midnight for the best viewing, but the number of meteors that you are going to be able to see after midnight this year will will be fewer since the moon is going to be rising after midnight, washing out the night sky. So, going out in the evening after sundown will be just as good an option this year. I recommend taking a blanket, air mattress, or lawn chair out and spreading out to watch the show! Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 what should this look like? I went out twice in the wee hours of the morning (2 and 3:30) and saw a beautiful sky, but didn't find anything out of the ordinary...am I blind...probably just ignorant! And thank you Jean! Thanks for helping me become a better astronomer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 It helps if it's a clear night -- how to describe: it looks like a shooting star with a tail streaking across the sky -- really, really high speed. Sometimes there are many of them streaking at the same time in many different directions -- sometimes, you blink, and you've missed one. Some years I have seen many, some years, maybe one or two. Hope this helps! (I've probably missed quite q few b/c I was yawning! :closedeyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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