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The Perseids Meteor Shower Update 2010

8/12/2010

Perseid Meteor Shower 2010– viewed from my home, one aspect of my sky view.

Cassiopeia ( top right) - Perseus (Middle) - Capella ( lower left ) in Auriga and as many stars as I could see in between.

53.2000°N, 6.1000°W Bray Co Wicklow Ireland   Bortle Dark Scale 4

A composite sketch created between July 28th and August 10th in mixed conditions from my garden. One observation from Sligo, similar conditions.

My town street lights are partly screened by tall trees , the view to the N / NE and over head was dark. The Double Cluster was visible naked eye and M 31 visible with averted gaze. The Milky Way had visible knotted areas overhead on August 9th and 10th , unusual for Bray.

Some stars are sketched brighter than they appear to stand out for the photograph of the sketch
which was too big to scan. I was sitting in my garden looking up over my pergola. On part cloudy
evenings , I put several chairs around the garden and moved to view different areas of the sky
the clear sections appeared. Each hour on the hour I took a break for tea , kept the lights off in
the house to try to keep my dark adaption.

‎

The meteors are as close to what I saw in length and colour as is possible.

There is a lot to learn about meteor observing click here for more information

Sketch is done using , Pastel ,Conte and a White Gel Pen on Black Mounting Board
Here is a key to the sketch

1.       July 28th –   00:00 UT   White                Mag 1 Mostly Cloudy few clear patches

2.       July 29th -    23:05 UT Red                    Mag 2 Part Cloud

3.       July 29th -    23 :15 UT Red                     Mag 2 Part Cloud

4.       July 29th -    23 :25 UT Red                     Mag 2 Part Cloud

5.       August 1st   23:20 UT   Blue                     Mag 1 Part Cloud Sligo 54.267 -8.483

6.       August 9th 21:50 UT   White                   Mag 2 Clear

7.       August 9thth 23:31 UT White                   Mag 2 Clear

8.       August 9thth 23:10 UT White                  Mag 1 Clear

9.       August 9thth 23:15 UT White                   Mag 1 Clear

10.   August 9th   23:40 UT White                    Mag 2 Clear

11.   August 9th 23:35 UT   Yellow                    Mag 2 Clear

12.   August 10th 00 :30 UT Yellow                  Mag 1 Clear

13.   August 10th 01:00 UT White                    Mag 2 Clear

14.   August 10th 01:24 UT White                    Mag 1 Clear

15.   August 10th 21:50 UT White                     Mag 3 Clear

16.   August 10th 21: 53 UT White                   Mag 3 Clear

17.   August 10th 22:10 UT White                   Mag 0 Clear

18.   August 10th 22:40 UT White                   Mag 1 Clear

19.   August 10th 23:04 UT White                   Mag 1 Clear

20.   August 10th 23:55 UT White                   Mag 1 Clear

Update

August 11th 53.2000°N, 6.1000°W 23:25 UT - 00:25:UT Perseids 11

August 10th 21:45 UT - 00:00 UT Perseids 15, Satellites 10,
Iridium Flare 1 @ Mag -3 WSW , Double Cluster, 8 Moths, 4 Birds, naked eye. :-)

August 9th/10th between 21:45 UT - 01:25 UT I observed 22 Perseids 3 sporadics , 14
satelites, I galaxy,Double Cluster,1 Chinese Lantern ,1 bird, naked eye :-)

So stop watching TV ,go out and look up this weekend
If you are a Twitter person you can see a bigger version of the sketch here

Get comfy The Perseids are Coming - What\'s Up for August 2010 The Perseids - Introducing Meteorwatch 2010

8/4/2010

About 24 years ago we had a holiday in a remote location in the west of Ireland. The house was high on a grassy ridge on Bolus Head looking over St Finian’s Bay in Co Kerry. From this vantage point the 350 million year old Skellig Rocks rose like stegosaurus plates from the Atlantic Ocean. They were 16 kilometres out to sea but their jagged presence dominated the view to the South.

Image Skellig Michael by Bernard Kelleghan

It was early August and when darkness fell the predicable blinking of a distant lighthouse was the only manmade object discernable at sea level in the blackness.

One moonless evening, the sky was crystal clear, the summer triangle was dramatically intersected by our galaxies river of stars, so much more touchable than the suburban view. I lay on the sun -dried grass looking for Perseids, one, two, three, four, five, six, plus several in the corner of my eye within a few minutes.

Time to take action, I went into the house and dragged out several mattresses, and encouraged (made) my family and our guests come outside, lie down and look up. I have a vague memory of sofa cushions being shoved through windows at one point to help the nest building.

As usual they thought I was mad, but soon they were seeing one of the year’s wonders in perhaps the darkest place on our island. We watched for satellites and my mattress guests (two families, four adults, four children) had never seen them either, so in between meteors we looked at these metal objects orbiting about 200 miles up.

A perfect viewing spot, we watched on a slight incline toward Perseus in North East, but the meteors came from what seemed like every direction. We watched many many meteors sizzling into our atmosphere in dots and dashes with long gaps and differing lengths. The Perseids are the result of tiny cast - off particles from Comet Swift Tuttle, shed as it passed through our solar system on its 130 year orbit of our sun. Once a year the Earth’s journey round our sun brings our atmosphere and these remnants into contact with each other .These particles hit the atmosphere at huge speeds and burn up thereby offering the observer natural fireworks. Ancient elements revealed by their colours as they vaporise in front of our eyes.

I will never forget the perfection of the viewing, the WOW’s, the laughter, the joy of my family seeing this shower for the first time ever.

Over the years since I have watched the Perseids from a deck chair in my garden, some escape the eye under hazy lights in suburbia. It is always the most exciting shower of the year and rarely disappoints. If you are lucky to have clear skies between now and mid August, no equipment is needed, just you and your eyeballs. If you want to fill out an observing sheet to record, the colour, length, duration, direction, location, hourly rate of your Perseids then they are easy to find and fill.

Post midnight is the best time to view. The Earth has left the Belt of Venus long behind and has rolled toward the night were other suns populate the soft deep cloak of space. The Perseids bring nano seconds, and multi seconds of wispy joy to all who take the time to look up from mattresses or other comfy viewing places. My apologies to holiday homes everywhere.

What's Up for August 2010 The Perseids - Jane Houston Jones

Meteorwatch - Get involved , click here, a little science , a little fun .

The Perseids in association with The British Astronomical Association , lots of good informaton on observing, imaging , and you can contribute your own observations and enjoy The Perseids even more . You can follow Meteorwatch on Twitter via @VirtualAstro you can follow the BAA on Twitter via @BritAstro
Hope it is clear and you all have a lovely time lookng up.

The Perseids Meteor Shower Update 2010

Get comfy The Perseids are Coming - What\'s Up for August 2010 The Perseids - Introducing Meteorwatch 2010

What's Up for August 2010 The Perseids - Jane Houston Jones

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