The Perseid Meteor Shower - An Extra Treat

[JBA]

Although nobody can be certain, it is believed that this years display could be particularly spectacular with as many as 200 per hour in the hours before dawn of August 12th. Read about it here:-

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essential ... hower#when

[johnny1]

it says before the dawn of aug 12

[JBA]

Absolutely correct - I do apologise. A simple typo and not bothering to check properly. I have edited the original post.

[hepsi]

According to bbc news site, it will be active tonight, should be amazing if the sky is clear, I remember seeing something similar last summer ☺

[JBA]

It is active every night from now until 22nd - but the peak night remains 11/12th August.

As the best time to see them any night is after midnight and preferably just before dawn light appears, I would suggest waiting nearer to the peak night before mounting a vigil.

[JBA]

Tonight is the night.

[frontalman]

Thanks, JBA. We'll be sleeping out on the sunloungers tonight (at least I will)!

[JBA]

I have just noticed that the International Space Station will be visible for 2 minutes over towards Turkey at 9:10pm. So if you are meteor watching early then look out for it.

[Deniz1]

I was out side and saw nothing!

[Mowgli597]

I stayed out all night (well, until 04:00 when I found I was dozing more than watching!
I even went to a dark place (the old coast road heading towards the Tatlisu Belediyesi Restaurant/beach/holiday chalets.
The moon meant that it was quite bright until moonset at about 00:45. After that it was pretty unimpressive - although the number of aircraft flying by to the east of the island was!
I came back home and got the lounger out in the back garden at about 02:00. At around 02:30 there was quite a good display of meteors, some of them ending in an almighty flash. But then it all quietened down again
I'll bet the peak time was at from 04:00 until sunrise!

[Deniz1]

I was out from 4 am it was just dark!

[sophie]

I set alarm for 4.30 and saw nothing but low cloud. 4 or was it 5 years ago it was awe inspiring, One meteor was sort of like a firework it actually split into two or three pieces at the end.

[Becker]

I had more enjoyment watching the Hubble Space Telescope earlier in the week! Before all you "know all you know alls" say different yes it was!

[Groucho]

We had a low power problem followed by a total outage for an hour or so last night and whilst speaking to a neighbour in the pitch dark a really bright shooting star swept on a low trajectory from north east to heading south west and burned up spectacularly - only visible for a couple of seconds.

[sophie]

Was out on terrace at 3.45am and saw three or four. Gave it up after 20 mins, it isn't until you try something like this that you realise just how much light pollution we have these days. Didn't used to be like it at all. On top of that "music" from ICE but it unbearable and their huge lazer beams didn't help either.

[frontalman]

I must admit that most years we lay out at this time of year to watch the shooting stars. A couple of years ( a while ago now) my grandson and I slept on the roof with the dogs and laid awake watching the show. I was disappointed this year, far from being a bumper year it seemed to us that there were fewer than normal - or maybe me mince pies ain't what they used to be!