Perseids Meteor Shower 2009 - August 12th

Seanie M

This year, predicted maximum takes place on the night of Wednesday August 12th between 17:30hrs and 20:00hrs UT. The downside this year, apart from the timing, is a waning Gibbous Moon, rising around 11pm when it gets dark and staying up all night. Only the brightest meteors will be visible. The Perseids have been known to produce fireballs, or bollides. These are pretty spectacular, so it is still worth watching despite the Moon's presence. Predicted normal rates are between 80 to 100 meteors per hour during maximum. Activity on each night either side of the 12th will also yield good numbers depending on seeing conditions. The radiant lies between the 'W' of Cassiopeia, and Perseus, as an observer is facing northeast.

TIP: Download a free copy of Stellarium - www.stellarium.org - and install it on your computer. Use it to find and recognise Perseus and the nearby constellations. You can also simulate the night of August 12th by going in to the Settings, and changing the date and time. Watch the stars fall from the sky on your screen!

Post your observations on IFAS: Let your fellow observers know what you saw during the Perseids in the Observing Reports forum on the Irish Federation of Astronomical Societies website.

Clear Skies,

Seanie.

Ostrom

Our Dublin-polluted eastern horizon would have eliminted most of the early show anyway....

This is my first time paying proper attention - do you think it will be worth sitting out for long beyond the predicted maximum?

fifilarue

This might be a little off topic but shows that humans observing skies for the longest time...Perseids are known in Italy as 'lacrime di San Lorenzo' or 'Saint Lorenzo's tears' as they fall in and around his feast day (10 Aug). That night (La notte di San Lorenzo) is a very special night in Italy, with festivals, parties and other outdoor activities (;)) organised around the meteorite shower-poems and songs even written about it. Spent manys the night out watching the spectacle myself -inevitably under clear skies. Leave it to the Italians to celebrate something so beautiful.

Seanie M

efla wrote: »

Our Dublin-polluted eastern horizon would have eliminted most of the early show anyway....

This is my first time paying proper attention - do you think it will be worth sitting out for long beyond the predicted maximum?

Hi efla,
nice to see you on boards' Astronomy forum too! I think it might be worth it on the night, ESPECIALLY if it is clear. With the weather impacting the event for the last 3 years ('07 and '08 were washouts), even with Moon, I plan to make a go of it. In our club anyway (MAC), we're planning a StarBQ if it is even cloudy, just for fun! If we see Perseids on the night (aiming for Saturday night, the 8th), it will be considered a bonus.

As for nights either side of the 12th, you will see an increase and a decrease during those nights before and after the 12 respectively. The Moon rises later each passing night (by about 25 minutes), so it's going to impact on the shower overall anyway.

Seanie.

FTOeire

I'll be watching..!

Flukey

Efla, it is certainly worth watching here in Dublin. Looking towards the northeast, Perseus appears like a large, slightly lob-sided, upside down Y. That is where the meteors appear to come from, but they can appear anywhere in the sky, so scan around rather than just looking towards Perseus. Often it is actually better to lie down and look up, as you will see more of the sky than when you are standing. So get out your sun-lounger, and go looking.

Remember too that meteor showers are not one night shows. The peak night is the 12th of August, but as SeanieM says, for the nights before and after it, even as much as a week or 10 days, you may actually see a few. Obviously though, the nights nearest the 12th are when you have the best chance. The full moon is spoiling things a bit this week, but there is the compensation of itself and Jupiter putting on a good show together. It will be waning next week, so if we have clear skies, you should see something if you take the time to do so.

mike65

oldmanrain

Is there much of a drop in meteors after 8? I'm in Finland at the moment, and it won't get dark until around half 11, considering I'm trying to convince friends to stand in a field for a few hours, will it be worth our while?

lostexpectation

`fairly clear tonight just went to window 30 seconds later saw a bright meteor

kaz_corcoran

Just saw my first meteor! Wasn't aware of the shower and came on to look up what I'd seen! I'll be out all night watching for a show tomorrow night

rhonin

The weather isn't playing ball here. Cloudy again last night.

mike65

Semi cloudy, I stuck head head out the back door for a few mins and saw nothing and didn't really expect to. It looks like the weather is just not going to be reliable.

captaindanwaldo

is anyone aware of anybody that goes to tara hill to watch this or anywhere in the surrounding area? id love to take a look but wouldnt have a notion of what im looking at where i should be looking...

Seanie M

oldmanrain wrote: »

Is there much of a drop in meteors after 8? I'm in Finland at the moment, and it won't get dark until around half 11, considering I'm trying to convince friends to stand in a field for a few hours, will it be worth our while?

There is not a huge drop oldmanrain, however, as it will still be daylight, for us anyway, you won't have anything to compare it to.

Don't forget, the predicted maximum is just that - a prediction. Bursts have been seen before, and may be anything from a period of 30 minutes to maybe 2 hours. The predictions are usually quite accurate however, so Ireland and Europe misses the peak AGAIN...

Seanie.

Flying Abruptly

Seanie M wrote: »

Don't forget, the predicted maximum is just that - a prediction. Bursts have been seen before, and may be anything from a period of 30 minutes to maybe 2 hours. The predictions are usually quite accurate however, so Ireland and Europe misses the peak AGAIN...

I was reading the best time for Ireland and England to see it is just before dawn on the 12th, i.e. tomorrow morning at about 5am? Is that right or will i be wasting my time getting up at that time?

lostexpectation

could one not see the brighter ones in daylight?

Captain Chaos

With the weather lately you'd be doing well to see the sun during daylight never mind any meteors.

Dave!

Nothin to see tonight then?

refusetolose

Dave! wrote: »

Nothin to see tonight then?

after 12 i believe is it?

Dave!

Righto I'll have a gander then !

irlpic

Complete cloud block here in East Donegal.

novarock

what direction should you be looking from dublin? I thought that I heard north east, but not sure...

novarock

novarock wrote: »

what direction should you be looking from dublin? I thought that I heard north east, but not sure...

Yeah, you should be looking NE-ish: you don't have to look in any exact direction when it comes to meteor showers, you just have to keep looking towards that general direction. If you can recognise the constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus, the radiant (point of origin of the meteors) is roughly half way between the two constellations.

Pjays

Very cloudy here at the moment. Hopefully it will break!

Dublin_Gunner

Still cloudy

A Neurotic

Cloudy in The Long County

Flying Abruptly

Cloud opened up nicely for 15 mins at 11.45 over Waterford and saw a few, hopefully it'll be better tomorrow.

Dave!

150% cloud cover in Tallaght.... booooo......

Better luck tomorrow

Dave!

150% cloud cover in Tallaght.... booooo......

Better luck tomorrow

irlpic

:mad:Snowing here in Donegal:mad:

2 stroke

Sun too bright here. Can't see a thing.