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Message started by RatdogWillie on 08/09/13 at 11:50:35

Title: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by RatdogWillie on 08/09/13 at 11:50:35

Meteor shower as Earth hits belt of comet debris next week

Stargazers will be treated to a spectacular fireball show early next week when Earth hits a belt of comet debris known as the Perseids, astronomers say.

The annual Perseid meteor shower, dubbed "the tears of St Lawrence" in honor of a martyred Christian saint, should peak in the wee hours of Monday and Tuesday with between 60 and 100 shooting stars per hour.

They will be visible over most of the world, but most clearly in the northern hemisphere, aided by an early-setting crescent Moon leaving a dark canvas for the celestial fireworks.

Cloudless skies permitting, the best viewing time will be the hours just before dawn on Monday and Tuesday, the head of US space agency NASA's meteoroid office, Bill Cooke, told AFP.

"Go outside, allow about 30-45 minutes for your eyes to dark adapt. Lie flat on your back (sleeping bag or lawn chair) and look straight up: take in as much of the sky as you can," he said by email.

"My experience is that most people who are disappointed viewing meteors go out for only a few minutes expecting to see something: this will work only for major outbursts not normal meteor showers. So be prepared to spend at least a couple of hours outside; don't expect to see many before midnight."

According to the European Space Agency, the Perseids are sand- to pea-sized bits of rocky debris ejected by the comet Swift-Tuttle, which is slowly disintegrating on its orbit around the Sun.

Over the centuries, its remains have spread along the comet's orbit to form a stream of particles hundreds of millions of kilometres long.

Earth's path around the Sun crosses the stream every mid-August.

The particles, called meteoroids, hit our planet's atmosphere at about 60 kilometres per second (37 miles per second) -- each igniting in a white-hot streak of superheated air.

According to Cooke, the Perseid showers produce more fireballs than any other.

They are named after the star constellation of Perseus from which they appear to spread out, and have been seen for about 2,000 years -- the earliest observations recorded in China.

St. Lawrence was an early Christian deacon tortured to death by the Romans in AD 258. His saint's day of August 10 coincides with the Perseids buildup.

According to legend, Laurentius was martyred on a iron grill over a fire, during which ordeal he is said to have quipped to his persecutors: "Turn me over. I'm done on this side!"

He is the patron saint of cooks.

http://mytechnologyworld9.blogspot.in/2013/08/meteor-shower-as-earth-hits-belt-of.html

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by Dave on 08/09/13 at 12:35:29

I have sat outside in a lawn chair on several occasions waiting to see something cool.....and been sadly dissapointed. The meteor shower events always seem to be duds when I make a point to watch. Maybe I can be suckered into trying it one more time. I reallly would like to see a good meteor shower.

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/09/13 at 13:27:57

& how many million years this been goin on? Seems like they otta run out of tiny little things to make those red streaks in the sky one day,,

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by arteacher on 08/09/13 at 15:43:31

Several years ago I was a Cub Scout leader, and on a crisp clear night during a winter camp that was quite a ways from any towns or cities we marched 'em all out to a clearing, had them lay on their backs in the snow, and close their eyes while we counted off three minutes, then open them on cue. It blew them away to see ALL the stars, the milky way, and even a shooting star. I had never seen anything like it myself.
Even without the shooting stars it is a worthwhile thing to do, if you can get out to the boonies to do it.

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by RatdogWillie on 08/09/13 at 17:02:23

No matter were you are, the best time frame is 1AM to 3Am. That is when your part of the planet turns into the path of the debris field left by a comet around 2000 years ago.

I have watched these August 12 and 13th showers many times.
It is best find someplace remote without light pollution and to lay on the ground or the hood of a large station wagon leaning against the windshield with a 6 pack of good beer (I have done this and it worked well).

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by old_rider on 08/09/13 at 23:41:21

565D5D545857564C4D390 wrote:

I did something similar with my wife, when I was dating her. I'm from the country and there were only one or two pole lights near garages or barns in the area. I took her to the "back fourty", by the hand with her eyes closed. We walked about 500 yards back into a newly mown hayfield, with me leading and her holding her eyes closed.

I put down a blanket, had her lay down, then told her to open her eyes, she must have sucked in air for about 30 seconds and finally said, Oh my......that is soooo beautiful! whats the hazey area going across the sky? I said: its the milkyway sweety.... she had never seen millions of stars before, only a handful or two.

I'm such a romantic.... LOL :)

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by tarkm812 on 08/10/13 at 09:20:56

Just wait a couple of months. ISON is coming! Could be spectacular.

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 08/16/13 at 13:35:54

Out at my place in Nevada, there isn't a night goes by, (as long as it is cloudless) that I had not seen several meteors.

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/16/13 at 13:56:17

Well, If you would act right, your wife would let ya in the HOUSE!

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 08/16/13 at 14:03:16

091610170A0D3C0C3C04161A51630 wrote:

Well, If you would act right, your wife would let ya in the HOUSE!

ROFLMAO ;D ;D ;D

That was a good one JOG.

Seriously though, my wife and I both sit out at night just watching the stars. It is great to see the night sky without all of the light pollution from a city.

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/16/13 at 14:09:25

Im happy for ya man,, I watchewd you lose your truck & so many things went against you, but you kept on,, I hope you find peace, prosperity & God. Not in that order..

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 08/16/13 at 14:29:59

544B4D4A5750615161594B470C3E0 wrote:

Im happy for ya man,, I watchewd you lose your truck & so many things went against you, but you kept on,, I hope you find peace, prosperity & God. Not in that order..

Well, at the moment we are back in New Mexico to spend the winter and we will be returning to Nevada in the spring. I thank you for your well wishes.

But yep, a lot of things were going wrong for a while there I began to think I was living a country song. ;)

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/16/13 at 14:32:04

Yea, what happens if you play country music bakkerds?

The guy gets his house, dog, pickup & wife back!

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by verslagen1 on 08/16/13 at 14:45:08

415E585F42457444744C5E52192B0 wrote:

Yea, what happens if you play country music bakkerds?

The guy gets his house, dog, pickup & wife back!

There must be a lot of unhappy cowboys.

how long have you been doing that to them?

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/16/13 at 16:10:45

Looong time,, Im just mean that way,,,You otta see the ones whose moms come back from the dead.

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by Boofer on 08/16/13 at 18:22:59

4D767B6C7D716A6C777F726D1E0 wrote:

I live in North Ms, and the late night weathermen (10:00PM) usually tell us which direction to look. And the time is very important, apparently. From here they usually show up in the southeast and travel left to right. You know the best way to take (in) a meteor shower? With LAVA soap! ;D

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by Serowbot on 08/17/13 at 00:38:06

I've spent more than a couple of nights anticipating these showers...
... and, they never fail to disappoint... ;D...
These "showers" have given me less than sprinkles...

Best I can hope for is an impressionable girl at my side...
... and the resulting boredom leading to..... ...:P...

I knew that tongue smiley had a purpose... :-?...

Title: Re: Meteor shower hits Earth next week
Post by kimchris1 on 08/17/13 at 11:38:34

Was unable to view them here. Too much cloud cover in the evenings and early a.m. to see them.
Years ago, I was fortunate enough to see them as I came home from
work.
Maybe next time.. :) kim