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Meteorite Shower Saturday 13 Dec

Created by Bristol Bristol  > 9 months ago, 13 Dec 2014
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Bristol
Bristol

ACT

347 posts

13 Dec 2014 10:03pm
Look to the north-east (in the constellation of Gemini) from about 2200 AEST. Should be spectacular.

Moon rises shortly after midnight, so that will lessen the effect.


If you miss it tonight, should be on show again tomorrow night. Moonrise will be later by about 40 minutes.

Edit: Daylight savings time. Not standard time. Sorry.
SandS
SandS

VIC

5904 posts

13 Dec 2014 10:09pm
thanks
Haydn24
Haydn24

QLD

473 posts

13 Dec 2014 9:15pm
Do you think there will be any big enough to reach the ground?

I might stay inside just incase
Mobydisc
Mobydisc

NSW

9029 posts

13 Dec 2014 10:23pm
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Haydn24 said..
Do you think there will be any big enough to reach the ground?

I might stay inside just incase



Time to don the tin foil hats.

Thanks for heads up. Its a bit late for me though.
Cal
Cal

Cal

QLD

1003 posts

13 Dec 2014 10:45pm
grrr, clouds, stupid subtropics, grrr.

I find it sad that, without considerable travel into remote locations, the skyscapes I saw as a child are nolonger available to my children. I remember measuring the increase in light pollution from turning the 'Bolte Bridge Lights' on, I suspect these days that the increase we measured would barely register.
slammin
slammin

QLD

998 posts

14 Dec 2014 1:01am
Just been for a swim and saw a few, and then saw the thread ,thanks for the info.
NotWal
NotWal

QLD

7435 posts

14 Dec 2014 2:15pm
overcast... bah
Bristol
Bristol

ACT

347 posts

14 Dec 2014 4:37pm
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Cal said..
. . . clouds . . .


That would have been frustrating; we were fortunate to have a clear night sky. The shower started in earnest about 1120 (AEDST), with meteorites flashing by about every 30 seconds.

Apparently, tonight should be even better, so good luck for no clouds in your region.

If you are not sure where you should look, find "the saucepan" (actually part of the Orion constellation), and watch generally below that.
Buster fin
Buster fin

WA

2597 posts

14 Dec 2014 4:44pm
10 PM for us sandgropers.
mineral1
mineral1

WA

4564 posts

14 Dec 2014 6:28pm
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Buster fin said..
10 PM for us sandgropers.


Where we looking Buster, towards Pt Hedland area, or Alice Springs direction?
Test pilot 1
Test pilot 1

WA

1430 posts

14 Dec 2014 6:57pm
If you're in Wyndham those directions would be complete opposite to being in Esperance.
Try northish somewhere between east and west!
Find the big dipper(wiki)
mineral1
mineral1

WA

4564 posts

14 Dec 2014 7:49pm
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Test pilot 1 said..
If you're in Wyndham those directions would be complete opposite to being in Esperance.
Try northish somewhere between east and west

So, if a SW breeze, and you are out a Silver Lake, which tack you on, Port or Starboard to get the best view
PaddlePig
PaddlePig

WA

421 posts

14 Dec 2014 9:07pm
Thanks seabreeze contributors. I am looking forward to watching the meteors. It's a fair clear night in perth. Is the Big Dipper the same as the saucepan/shopping trolley.. Haha. Wife and I are going to watch.

Edit:I just read another poster above quote it is saucepan, so we will look there.
dirtburp
dirtburp

QLD

19 posts

14 Dec 2014 11:25pm
Still nothing ??
Mr Milk
Mr Milk

NSW

3120 posts

15 Dec 2014 12:43am
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PaddlePig said..
Thanks seabreeze contributors. I am looking forward to watching the meteors. It's a fair clear night in perth. Is the Big Dipper the same as the saucepan/shopping trolley.. Haha. Wife and I are going to watch.

Edit:I just read another poster above quote it is saucepan, so we will look there.


I don't think that we have the big dipper in S hemisphere, but don't quote me.
Orion is the easy one to find. See the orange star. That's Betelgeuse. You should look a bit lower and a bit east from there.
Just went outside here and there is light cloud about, so I'll go to bed and trust that it happened.
dirtburp
dirtburp

QLD

19 posts

15 Dec 2014 12:04am
I saw one but no more after that..
R0CKH0PPER
R0CKH0PPER

131 posts

14 Dec 2014 10:31pm
I just went out outside and didn't see jack.I reckon you just saw a shooting star. :)
DavMen
DavMen

NSW

1509 posts

15 Dec 2014 8:55am
Triffids? (not the band)
Cobra
Cobra

9106 posts

15 Dec 2014 9:34am
i saw a shooting star come out of uranus.




Sorry i had to
ThinkaBowtit
ThinkaBowtit

WA

1134 posts

15 Dec 2014 9:38am
Nerdy fact time. Mr Milk is right, the big dipper is seen from the northern hempishere. We don't see the dipper, they don't see the cross.

Stars don't shoot. Meteors do, they're ex-comet/asteroid bits burning up in our atmosphere.

Meteorites are the bits that make it to earth.

This shower is still good for another couple of days, but last night was the peak.

Look north east about 11 or later. Be patient.

Nothing you see will compare to this bad boy...




Gorgo
Gorgo

VIC

5108 posts

15 Dec 2014 1:24pm
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ThinkaBowtit said..
...

This shower is still good for another couple of days, but last night was the peak.

...






I got up at 2:00 and 3:00 on Saturday night and saw one meteor each time. Definitely a thicker trail than usual but not many too look at.

We checked again on Sunday night and saw no meteors at all.

I saw the Perseids some years ago an that was like a continuous shower of multiple meteors. I'd like to see some more like that one.

evlPanda
evlPanda

NSW

9207 posts

15 Dec 2014 3:38pm
I gave up on celestial events after Halley's Comet. Fizzzzzz.

Meteor showers look nothing like you imagine. 1/minute is a peak. Most are ...yeah, not much.
And of course the weather is always a factor.

So here are my constructive tips for awesome stuff in the sky.

#1 The International Space Station.

Requirements: Average weather. An internet connection.

Sign up for an email alert when you'll be able to see it here: spotthestation.nasa.gov/
You can track it as it comes across the world here: iss.astroviewer.net/
And then look at yourself back down on earth here: www.ustream.tv/recorded/56453974

It's pretty cool to see it in the sky - you can't miss it, it's *bright* - and also see what it sees. Tracking as it comes across from Africa is cool too. Takes about 40 minutes.

#2 The Milky Way Galaxy

Requirements: Cold, moonless night. Probably winter. Have to be a long, long way away from city lights.

If you've done a long country drive in winter at night you've seen this. The best I've ever seen it was in the South Island in NZ. We stopped and looked up for perhaps an hour. When I first stepped out of the car I got a mild sense of vertigo it was so obviously a giant, spiral galaxy we are on the edge of.

#3 The Moon

Requirements: Good view of the horizon. The ocean.

Watching a moonrise over the ocean can be utterly beautiful. Better than any pissy meteor shower anyways. Of course the best time is a full moon, and you need the ocean in the east (sorry WA). If you have crisp skies and a calm ocean it reflects and ....wow.

#4 The moon again

Requirements: Binoculars.

Lie on your back and look at it through a large set of binoculars. Best when it is half full or less. Otherwise it's just too bright.


#5 Satellites

Requirements: Dusk (or dawn) and good skies.

Go here and enter your location at top right: www.heavens-above.com/AllSats.aspx?lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=UCT

You want the "Daily predictions for brighter satellites" link if you get lost.

You'll see a few every evening. Guaranteed.






Harrow
Harrow

NSW

4521 posts

15 Dec 2014 9:41pm
Drove out to Wanda at 11pm on Sunday night. Stared at the sky for about 20 minutes and saw 3 good white streaks. The Kurnell refinery and Port botany lights probably washed out 90% of what was on offer.
oldtelefart
oldtelefart

148 posts

15 Dec 2014 7:50pm
Set up the recliner next to the pool - check.
Orient it north-east for best view - check.
Perfect clear conditions - check.
Have a few coldies and a few hotties waiting for midnight - check.
See one small brief meteor trail - check.
Fall asleep till 3:30 am, wake up cold and damp - check.
slammin
slammin

QLD

998 posts

16 Dec 2014 6:56am
Select to expand quote
oldtelefart said...
Set up the recliner next to the pool - check.
Orient it north-east for best view - check.
Perfect clear conditions - check.
Have a few coldies and a few hotties waiting for midnight - check.
See one small brief meteor trail - check.
Fall asleep till 3:30 am, wake up cold and damp - check.


Should have been IN the pool.
Mr float
Mr float

NSW

3452 posts

16 Dec 2014 10:05am
I sat up all night .nothing .distracted for one minute when daughters called up complaining that nothing was happening,wife popped out at that time and saw one .i missed it .doesnt come close to my shared UFO experience Xmas eve a few years back
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