woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
|
|
geminid meteor shower.
thanks to El Gato Loco for the link to this site:
LAUNCH ALERT
Brian Webb
Post Office Box 6484
Thousand Oaks, CA 91359-6484
ATTN: Launch Alert
launch-alert-editor@earthlink.net
http://www.spacearchive.info
which informs the public of launch dates from Vandenberg AFB of rockets, missiles and other interesting stuffs. today this came:
A GEM OF A METEOR SHOWER
Astronomy Magazine News Release
by Matt Qandt
2010 December 9
One of the finest meteor showers of 2010, the Geminids should put on a rousing show the night of December 13/14.
WAUKESHA, WI -- One of the most prolific annual meteor showers makes
its appearance in mid-December. The Geminid shower peaks the night of
December 13/14. Although many people consider it to be a poor cousin
to August's Perseid shower, the Geminids often put on a better show.
This year, observers can expect to see upward of 100 "shooting stars"
per hour - an average of nearly two per minute - under a dark sky.
"Conditions should be wonderful for the Geminids this year," says
Astronomy magazine senior editor Michael Bakich. "The First Quarter
Moon sets around midnight local time, leaving the prime viewing hours
after midnight free from any unwanted natural lighting."
The only potential drawback is cloud cover, which, unfortunately,
tends to be fairly common this time of year. Rates for this shower
remain decent a day on either side of the peak, so target the morning
of December 13 or 15 if the weather looks bad on the 14th.
Any stray light in the sky tends to drown out fainter meteors, so find
an observing site far from the lights of the city. A large field is
ideal because you then can let your eyes roam across the whole sky.
December nights tend to be cold, however, so bundle up in layers.
Reclining in a lawn chair is a great way to take in a lot of the sky
at once, but be sure to get up and walk around occasionally. It also
helps to drink some hot coffee or tea.
The Geminids begin as tiny specks of dust that hit Earth's atmosphere
at 78,000 mph (126,000 km/h), vaporizing from friction with the air
and leaving behind the streaks of light we call meteors. The meteors
appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini the Twins (hence their
name), near the bright stars Castor and Pollux. This spot, called the
radiant, remains visible all night and passes nearly overhead around
2 a.m. local time. Although the meteors seem to originate in Gemini,
they can appear anywhere in the sky and actually leave longer trails
the farther they are from the radiant.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65282
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Driving home from the Itzel dinner party, north on I-5 near Oceanside... we saw a long tailed, large meteor heading straight down, nearly to the
ground... north of Oceanside... maybe close to 9 pm.
Perhaps an early arrival of the meteor shower?
|
|
|
mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Driving home from the Itzel dinner party, north on I-5 near Oceanside... we saw a long tailed, large meteor heading straight down, nearly to the
ground... north of Oceanside... maybe close to 9 pm.
Perhaps an early arrival of the meteor shower? |
David...report this at
http://www.meteoritesusa.com/category/fireball-reports/
Guys like me read about this stuff intensely. There is a page here that will tell you what steps to take during a sighting to I.D. the location more
clearly. Cool site.
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
|
|
|
oldlady
Banned
Posts: 1714
Registered: 10-31-2005
Location: BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
There were several "early arrivals" in the sky above La Paz very early th is morning. Beautiful.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65282
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by mcfez
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Driving home from the Itzel dinner party, north on I-5 near Oceanside... we saw a long tailed, large meteor heading straight down, nearly to the
ground... north of Oceanside... maybe close to 9 pm.
Perhaps an early arrival of the meteor shower? |
David...report this at
http://www.meteoritesusa.com/category/fireball-reports/
Guys like me read about this stuff intensely. There is a page here that will tell you what steps to take during a sighting to I.D. the location more
clearly. Cool site. |
Thanks Deno, is there a better link or is the last 'Fireball' report from 2009? We just saw an extra bright metorite straking down from straight up to
straight down out the front of our truck northbound... not really what I would call a 'fireball'... but that it stood out with all the freeway
headlights and lasted long enough to say the word wow slowly... 
|
|
|
Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
|
|
Gonna be on a flight with a window seat. Will be looking.
|
|
|
Natalie Ann
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2819
Registered: 8-22-2003
Location: Berkeley
Member Is Offline
|
|
This is the month for heavenly shows.
First this great meteor display...
and then on the night of Dec. 20/21 there will be a full lunar eclipse.
Great way to welcome winter - it's the Solstice.
nena
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
|
|
|
socalrat
Junior Nomad
Posts: 83
Registered: 8-16-2008
Location: South Bay, LA
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Natalie Ann
This is the month for heavenly shows.
First this great meteor display...
and then on the night of Dec. 20/21 there will be a full lunar eclipse.
Great way to welcome winter - it's the Solstice.
nena |
Will be in San Felipe on the 21st. Also supposed to be a very high tide that night.
gb3
|
|
|
shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13049
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
|
|
WOW...I got up well before first light this morning to make some wishes on falling stars...man...I got to make many more wishes than anticipated...so
I made some for all my amigos too!...thanks so much for the heads up!
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
