The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Fleecewife on December 11, 2015, 12:38:06 pm

Title: More stargazing
Post by: Fleecewife on December 11, 2015, 12:38:06 pm

For the next few nights the Geminid meteor shower promises to be amazing - if we can see it!   The max will be at about 1800 on Dec 14th, but for us hereabouts the only clear spell forecast is tonight from 1700 to 1800.
The source is Gemini, which is up and left a bit from Orion, so they should radiate out from there.  Apparently the Geminids are bright and relatively slow moving, so fingers crossed  :fc: we get to see something good.
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: Fleecewife on December 11, 2015, 10:47:34 pm

The stars are amazingly bright tonight, but the only shooting star I've seen was the least impressive you could imagine  :roflanim:  I'll keep trying as long as the sky is clear.
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: chrismahon on December 12, 2015, 01:03:07 pm
Thanks very much for that info Fleecewife. Found a web site that gives time, direction and height to be looking at for us. Forecast here is clear for next two nights and we have no light pollution with an uninterrupted view of the sky all round. Unfortunately being perched on a hill means it is cold and rather windy, so we will wrap up.
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: Fleecewife on December 12, 2015, 04:22:12 pm

Even stepping outside my front door, which is all I have to do to view that part of the sky, is freezing.....and gives you a crick in the neck.
Good luck with viewing the meteor shower Chrismahon, and let us know what you see.
Our forecast here in this part of Scotland is for dense fog or pouring rain for the rest of the week  :'( :(
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: chrismahon on December 13, 2015, 06:52:51 am
Saw two this morning Fleecewife. What's unusual about them is they were very bright flashes with almost no perceptible trail, so they must be coming straight at me. Meteors I have seen before streak across the sky.
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: Fleecewife on December 13, 2015, 11:19:01 am

We had a short break in the cloud here, but no meteors again  :(  Lucky you to see some.  I suppose the ones which come straight at you might get down to the ground, do you think?  Or are they still burning up in the atmosphere?
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: chrismahon on December 13, 2015, 11:30:44 am
I hope they are burning up Fleecewife. The bright flash must be because I am looking along the flight path. There have been reports of people hit by meteorites though! I'll have another look tonight which will be the last chance because it's supposed to be getting cloudy tomorrow.
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: chrismahon on December 14, 2015, 08:28:06 am
At 2.00am the point to view was given as South at 78 degrees elevation. Looking in that direction and I saw 5 in 10 seconds, followed by nothing for 10 minutes. Problem was they were all outside of my field of vision, radiating in all directions from the view point. Had another look at 5.00am and saw three, but two were from different directions so perhaps not Geminid. Anyway the clouds have arrived, so no more stargazing for me.


They were all quite small. The biggest I ever saw was in West coast Ireland and it crossed the entire sky view.
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: in the hills on December 14, 2015, 10:24:51 am
Spotted 2 this morning at 4.30am ......  lying in bed with the curtains open!  One was small but the other appeared really large and bright but without much 'tail'.  :excited:

I've never been at all interested in 'stargazing' but getting into these 'showers'!  ;D


Thank you FW ..... keep posting.  ;D
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: Penninehillbilly on December 15, 2015, 05:36:24 pm
Huh
last night and today i can't even see the field, never mind the sky,
Title: Re: More stargazing
Post by: Fleecewife on December 16, 2015, 12:19:59 am

Same here PHB - I'm really disappointed  :'(  Blooming fog  :rant: