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The Geminid Meteor Shower this weekend could be the best of the year:
150-175 per hour (estimated)
Slow, long tails, easier to spot
Larger particles which may penetrate deeper into the atmosphere, and burn brighter
Don't forget the DEET.
http://gizmodo.com/the-biggest-meteor-sh...1747583580
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Thanks... Can't wait. I hope we have clear skies. And the video in that article is gorgeous!
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So if it were by some miracle to be clear over the Big Island, what part of the sky should we position ourselves to watch? As I remember this is a long slow meteor shower.
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Shock,
If it's a decent display (indications so far is it might be), you'll see shooting stars anywhere you look. However, the radiant, where the shooting stars appear to come from, is in the Gemini constellation. If you can find Orion, then Gemini is the constellation to the left (east). It'll be in the south east at the start of the night and obviously move to the south west as the night goes on.
As ever, best viewing for meteors is after midnight, around 2am. Locate Orion and look a little to the left, but if it's a good show you won't need directions.
PS. The peak for us should be Sunday night/early Monday morning.
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By the way, for those who watch the shower all the way to dawn, the Hubble Space Telescope will be visible shortly before dawn on Monday. It won't be bright (mag 4) but visible if the sky is clear. Transit will be at 05:06 at about 30 degrees above the horizon in the NNE and it will only be visible for a few minutes. It'll be tough to see, but if you're determined to watch the shower, it might be a nice way to end the night!
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Thanks for the heads up HOTPE and Tom. I'm planning to watch if I can pull myself out of bed.
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Step up, beejee, go out and observe the sky at 6pm and keep going 'til sunrise. Feel what it's like to be an astronomer! [
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So laying down outside on a clear night, in PJs on a comfortable surface, staring at the sky AND getting paid !!! ???
Where can I sign up ? ; )
cough cough,
aloha,
pog
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Remember it's a day job as well!
Don't know about PJs, but we did have one guy show up for an observing run at UKIRT in shorts and a t-shirt (his luggage was delayed). The bad thing for him was that he was a smoker, so had to go outside for his fix. It was winter, winds were high, temperatures below freezing but getting that nicotine fix was far more important.
He's called Rob, now a distinguished professor in the UK, and we've been friends since the late 80s, so sometimes I can let the rules slide a little, especially as an ex-smoker!
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LOL @ pog and tom
I just watched for little over an hour, quite a show!! I counted about 90 but I'm sure there were more outside my field of view. Couldn't ask for a better night to view.
Time for some Zzzzzs!!
