Does anyone know about it and what would be the best time to see it? I'm in southern California.
2007-08-10 06:02:18 · 8 answers · asked by dlnmllr 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes, it is the night of August 12-13. The best time to look is in the predawn darkness Monday morning, August 13. If you are not a morning person, then just stay up as late as you can Sunday night. The sunrise side of the Earth is the "front" side, the side facing in the direction Earth is orbiting. So it is that hemisphere where most of the meteors hit, just like most bugs splat on the windshield of you car and not on the back window. You may see as many as one a minute, but don't expect to see thousands of anything like that. If you don't see any 15 or 20 minutes then you can give up. The intensity can be very unpredictable.
2007-08-10 06:50:59 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The meteor shower is on August 12-07.
After the Sun sets look to the North East, that is where most should be seen, but there will be others in different locations.
To get the best viewing, from after mid night until before Sun Rise, the reason for this is that there isn't as many lights on at that time of night.
I suggest to go to a location, away from the glare of City lights, the darker it is, the more meteorites you will be able to see.
Have a good night of viewing.
Oh yes there will be a new Moon, so you don't have to worry about moon light.
2007-08-10 15:08:44 · answer #2 · answered by John R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is the Perseid Meteor Shower, the largest and most prolific of the year, It peaks on 12th August but is still viewable for more than a week after that, Upwards of 100 meteors an hour can be expected,
Meteor showers, in general, are best observed after midnight on dark, moonless nights.
Wikipedia states:
The Perseids (PURR-see-idz) are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are so called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Perseus. However, they can be seen all across the sky. Because of the path of Swift-Tuttle's orbit, Perseids are mostly visible on the northern hemisphere.
Meteor showers occur when Earth moves through a meteor stream. The stream in this case is called the Perseid cloud and it stretches along the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle.
The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it passed by the Sun. Most of the dust in the cloud today is approximately a thousand years old.
The famous Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2000 years, with the first known information on these meteors coming from the Far East. In early Europe, the Perseids came to be known as the "tears of St. Lawrence."
THE PARENT COMET
Comet Swift-Tuttle (formally designated as 109P/Swift-Tuttle) was independently discovered by Lewis Swift on July 16, 1862 and by Horace Parnell Tuttle on July 19, 1862.
The comet made a return appearance in 1992, when it was rediscovered by Japanese astronomer Tsuruhiko Kiuchi.
It only comes by earth once in every 130 years, therefore, but, like confetti left behind after a wedding, the debris it leaves in its wake, lasts a long time!
Obviously it was coming by earth with its visits 130 years apart, 2,000 years ago but nobody noticed it nor connected it to the Perseids until modern times.
2007-08-10 13:18:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Perseid meteor shower happens throughout the month of August and peaks mid-month but the best viewing will be late night Aug 12th through dawn Aug 13th as this is during a new moon, which means no moon and dark skies. Find a clear view of the northeast horizon, away from local lights.Telescopes and binoculars are of no help, as the meteors move too swiftly and are best observed with the naked eye. With pollution in Calif. it may not be as clear, but give it a shot.
2007-08-10 13:18:44 · answer #4 · answered by Holyguacamole 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is indeed, it's the Perseid meteor shower that's the remnants of a cometary tail (a bit like passing through a juggernauts exhaust fumes!) You should be able to see it at it's best on sunday night. No special kit needed, lie back and enjoy!
Next shower is the Leonid shower in November.
2007-08-10 13:47:22 · answer #5 · answered by Efnissien 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The meteor shower is to take place on August 12, 2007 from 1:00am to 5:00AM. you should be able to see a hand full of meteors.
2007-08-10 16:32:16 · answer #6 · answered by 88sweet 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20187093?GT1=10252
2007-08-10 13:11:27 · answer #7 · answered by promark_2 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont know i live in florida
2007-08-10 13:10:54 · answer #8 · answered by gabriel nicole 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋