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Space and Astronomy Thread |
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#851 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Posts: 53,213
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Quote:
Do you not know how to find north?
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#852 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
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Quote:
not fully no
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#853 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Bishop-Auckland / Darlington
Posts: 6,636
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Quote:
So why can we see them, without special equipment at night, is it because they're so bright?
They appear seemingly at random - and streak across the sky in a matter of a second or two - by the time you had raised binoculars to our eyes - it would be gone. That's not to say you CAN'T EVER see them with an optical aid though. I've seen loads whiz through my field of view while using telescopes and binoculars, but that's just sheer luck that they happened to pass close by to wjat I was already looking at. You'll see far more by picking an area of sky, sitting back on a deck-chair or lounger, and gazing at as wide a patch as you can. |
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#854 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
Binoculars and telescopes aren't much use for watching a meteor shower because they are so fast-moving, and you never know exactly where one will appear.
They appear seemingly at random - and streak across the sky in a matter of a second or two - by the time you had raised binoculars to our eyes - it would be gone. That's not to say you CAN'T EVER see them with an optical aid though. I've seen loads whiz through my field of view while using telescopes and binoculars, but that's just sheer luck that they happened to pass close by to wjat I was already looking at. You'll see far more by picking an area of sky, sitting back on a deck-chair or lounger, and gazing at as wide a patch as you can. As you probably know there are people who are interested in telescopic meteors. I can not see the point myself. If they are that faint there is not a lot of point in looking for them. |
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#855 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Posts: 53,213
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Quote:
Do you know which direction the sun came up from this morning?
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#856 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Guarding Anne-the Klepto-666
Posts: 57,165
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Quote:
i wasn't awake when it did
![]() The sun ALWAYS rises in the east.
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#857 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 411
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This is amazing free software that will show you where everything is in the sky in real time. Just change the location to nearest you.
http://www.stellarium.org/ |
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#858 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Bishop-Auckland / Darlington
Posts: 6,636
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Quote:
i just hope i don't look in wrong direction and miss them
last night i went to try spot some with no luck ![]() ![]() the stars were all faint Around 10pm to midnight - When Perseus is roughly North-east - the best places to look will by high to the East, High to the North - or directly overhead. Shower meteors appear to shoot AWAY from the radiant - and the radiant of the Perseids, as the name suggests, is in the constellation Perseus. If you have no idea which direction North and East are - take a close look at the following two pictures... The first shows how to find North... Look around the sky for either the 'W' shape of Cassiopeia - or the familliar shape of the Plough. Both will be about mid-height in the sky (35° to 45° up) If you spot the 'W' first (it'll be on it's side like in the picture) - look to the left of it for the Plough - the 'top' of the 'W' points roughly North-ish When you find the Plough - locate the two stars on the end - known as 'the pointers' - an imaginary line extended from the pointers, will lead you directly to the North Pole Star (Polaris) Straight down from that, is almost exactly due North. And while looking North - East is to your right. http://i29.tinypic.com/246t5di.gif The Perseids appear to emanate from Perseus - and will appear randomly in any of the directions shown on the chart below - but never actually AT the radiant point in Perseus - often even further away than the arrows on the chart, but always AWAY from Perseus. http://i29.tinypic.com/2yzltt2.gif |
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#859 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Posts: 53,213
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Quote:
I don't know if you're joking
![]() The sun ALWAYS rises in the east. ![]() just how to find east from angle of my house now think i saw the plough last night getting dark here hope remaining clouds clear off
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#860 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Bishop-Auckland / Darlington
Posts: 6,636
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Quote:
just how to find east from angle of my house
(You could PM me if you don't wanna say so in the open forum) Then maybe by telling which nearby town is North or East of you, would help??? What I mean is - from where I live - near Darlington... Newcastle is North of me, and Middlesbrough is to my East |
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#861 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 8,491
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Clear sky (almost) here in Norwich, just looked out my window, can't see a thing
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#862 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 411
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I'm in Norwich too and just saw about 8 in around 20minutes before the cloud rolled in.
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#863 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 8,491
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Quote:
not fully no
Quote:
I'm in Norwich too and just saw about 8 in around 20minutes before the cloud rolled in.
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#864 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 411
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Quote:
Go on Google Maps, see which way your house is facing.
I didn't see anything an hour ago except a moving plane. What are you supposed to look for? A shooting star kind of thing? |
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#865 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Derby
Posts: 1,258
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Oh crap, my bedroom window is facing West!
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#866 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Guarding Anne-the Klepto-666
Posts: 57,165
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I couldn't see owt
too cloudy in Liverpool.
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#867 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Bishop-Auckland / Darlington
Posts: 6,636
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Ayone still struggling with directions (tvqueen?)...
Now the Moon's up, due East is a tad to the right of it. That very bright 'star' - can't miss it, brightest thing in the sky, after the Moon - is Jupiter - that's roughly South-East at the moment. |
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#868 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Guarding Anne-the Klepto-666
Posts: 57,165
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Quote:
Ayone still struggling with directions (tvqueen?)...
Now the Moon's up, due East is a tad to the right of it. That very bright 'star' - can't miss it, brightest thing in the sky, after the Moon - is Jupiter - that's roughly South-East at the moment.
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#869 |
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
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Quote:
I'm in Norwich too and just saw about 8 in around 20minutes before the cloud rolled in.
One day, I wouldn't mind going to somewhere like the Nevada or Australian deserts to see a really good Perseid or Leonid meteor shower. Has anyone ever been to such places and witnessed truly dark (and clear) skies? |
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#870 |
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Manchester
Posts: 8,470
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I saw something, it looked like a star shooting across the sky but it didn't go too far and i didn't see any kind of trail behind it, just one and it was gone in 2 seconds.
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#871 |
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,099
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Been outside since 10pm, looking directly overhead I've only seen one. Very bright.
I think I can see Jupiter, is it quite low down in the sky? Looks like the clouds will clear in an hour or two. |
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#872 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: A rude anagram of a Notts Town
Posts: 2,689
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OT but Perseids. Anyone gonna look out for them? (Meteor shower)
Its a meteor shower tonight.
I have seen a few. Last edited by GMAKAIWTY : 12-08-2009 at 23:11. Reason: Changed title |
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#873 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Guarding Anne-the Klepto-666
Posts: 57,165
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Still too cloudy.
OT but took the dogs with me and they've just ragged me all over the shop trying to catch the fox! |
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#874 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 33,495
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Quote:
Its a meteor shower tonight.
I have seen a few. ![]() ![]() ![]()
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#875 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 13,905
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Does that start tonight?
I started a thread on them before now, (during BB8 I think) it was so much fun - people all up and down the country were out looking for shooting stars
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All times are GMT. The time now is 03:39.







hope remaining clouds clear off