
ahh, meteor shower
cue loads of massive clouds as usual
The most highly anticipated meteor shower of the year, the Perseids, are due to start their usually prolific streak through the sky tomorrow night and run until Monday. Perseid meteor captured by Bill Pinnell. All rights reserved Perseid meteor captured by Bill Pinnell back in 2009. The Perseids originate from the debris …
"I had practically written this yearly event off of my calendar because much as many of you, it's always cloudy/rainy/overcast for this event. "
I'm in the US, in Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
I've long counted on clouds and highly probable rain whenever *any* celestial event occurs. Be it a meteor shower, eclipse, hypernova, doesn't matter. That is the day it'll be either pissing or shitting on us.
Except when I was abroad, when it was clear... :/
do note, that meteor showers are always best watched well after midnight, until dawns early light. thats because at dawn, we are on the side of the earth facing the earth's travel around the sun, so we are on the leading edge moving through the meteor cloud, which is orbiting the sun on a highly elliptical orbit at a relatively fixed place in relation to earth's orbit (thats why the persieds are always in August, etc).
"do note, that meteor showers are always best watched well after midnight, until dawns early light"
When the rain shall strike one directly from above, save when driven sideways, owls shit upon you and the dew preferentially settles upon you.
For, in reality, that is frequently what happens, in varying degrees.
Only astronomers get all of the above when making observations.
Typically whilst being infested by bats and worse, reporters. ;)
I and my friends spotted plenty of bright meteors from the Norfolk coast on Saturday night. It wasn't entirely cloudless, but there was enough clear sky around midnight.
BTW I'm always intrigued by the estimates of the numbers that will be seen. In my experience you'll see at least one meteor per minute if you lie on your back anywhere and on any date as long as you have a clear night sky without light pollution.
My dog couldn't believe his luck last night when I took him out for a SECOND walk at 11pm. Somewhat confused, he jumped into the back of the car as we drove to an area nearby that has a little less light pollution. But, despite lying on my back and staring at the faint patches of sky that were not obscured by cloud for 45 minutes, I saw nothing. Not a sausage. B***** all!
Oh well. I'll try again tonight.