Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weather
Original poster

Perseid Meteor shower ~ 11-13th August

24 replies

GloriaSmud · 09/08/2015 08:38

That time of year again for spotting the Perseid Meteors ~ some information here on best times and where to look. Peak night looks to be Tuesday night but might be able to spot some in the nights either side of that date.

Let's hope for some clear skies!

OP posts:
Original poster
GloriaSmud · 10/08/2015 09:35

Thought I saw a meteor at 11.30 ish last night. According to Spaceweather, the earth is in the middle of 2 comet debris streams at the moment, so there's an increased chance of seeing meteors.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 10/08/2015 09:38

Saw them in France a couple of years ago. The cottage we stayed in was in a quiet area with few lights around so had brilliant clear skies. There were so many!

CheckpointCharlie · 10/08/2015 23:02

Am going out for a look....

Original poster
GloriaSmud · 10/08/2015 23:18

Just spent a few minutes having a look but nothing doing at the moment. Hopefully tomorrow night onwards should give a better chance of seeing a few.

OP posts:
AuntieStella · 10/08/2015 23:37

We've been out, with DC (as staying somewhere pretty rural, so little light pollution). We saw (probably) 3 before the youngest wanted to come in and dragged me with her.

Sidge · 10/08/2015 23:47

I've just been sat in the garden for half an hour and seen quite a few. Some quite bright with tails, some like little moving twinkles.

It's amazing! I'll be out again tomorrow and Wednesday.

Jux · 11/08/2015 00:23

We always go star-gazing on the night of the 12th. DD's birthday is 13th, and we get thick blankets and drive off into the middle of nowhere where there are no ligts, and lie down and watch the shooting stars for a while. It's a lovely start to dd's birthday.

PigletJohn · 11/08/2015 00:38

I have an idea there is some website that helps you find a "dark sky" area.

Did I imagine it? Don't want to be travelling far to get away from the streetlights.

123rd · 11/08/2015 00:46

So, I read that it said when its dark but is there a more specific time? I'd love to take the DC out to see some.

Hulababy · 11/08/2015 08:09

I read from about 10pm onwards.
And they come in clusters generally. So go out and get accustomed to the dark and look up. You may need to wait 20 minutes or so first.
There are a few sites that tell you which angle they are likely to be at at what time, etc.

Original poster
GloriaSmud · 11/08/2015 09:09

Nice to see that some people got to see some meteors. I had another look out at 1.30-2am and still didn't see anything Sad
There's a link here for times for seeing the Perseids and there's a dark sky map here (no sites near me ~ will have to rely on trying to get away from street lights!) for finding dark areas in the UK.

OP posts:
Jux · 11/08/2015 18:22

The place we went to for the last couple of years is at the top of a hill on a main road, but going through the sticks with open fields in every direction, and no street lights. You might get about one car an hour or less, after 11ish. You can't even see a glow of village or town. It's about 15 or 20 minutes from us. We tend to just pull into a lay-by and wander a few yards towards the field, chuck down our blankets and lie down. We are very lucky. (We also have friends in Dulverton. In fact you see more at the lay-by because there are no buildings, 360deg view.)

Original poster
GloriaSmud · 12/08/2015 15:07

Meteor count last night ~ 2 between 11.10 and 11.50pm. Not as many as previous years but OK. Tonight looks like the last good night for meteor spotting for the south/midlands as tomorrow night's weather forecast is not good.

OP posts:
meglet · 12/08/2015 22:12

juat seen one. It was massive. I was half expecting a huge explosion over the horizon Shock Blush .

00100001 · 12/08/2015 22:16

Read that the 14th will be good this year full moon and all that

SwedishEdith · 12/08/2015 22:23

Saw 3 last night including a spectacular, almost slow-motion one. Saw 3 the previous night as well. Expected more, tbh - and am in rural France so thought it'd be really spectacular. But, tonight is cloudy Sad

MissMuffetisin · 12/08/2015 23:06

Been out for a walk, not seen one . [ sad ] . Lots of planes though and we are nowhere near an airport

PigletJohn · 12/08/2015 23:55

can anyone south of Birmingham see them tonight?

meglet · 13/08/2015 00:12

yes, seen some in North Hampshire. we're in the town centre but the street lamps still don't stop us from seeing the stars, and today, the meteors.

Hulababy · 13/08/2015 08:23

Saw about half a dozen last night including one really big one. Also saw the ISS.

We went down to the local pub (dinner first then decamped to large fields) armed with picnic blanket, sleeping bags (the children got inside them), chairs, fizz and hot drinks (friends have a van hence the hot stuff.)

Astronomical society were there too.

Skies were pretty dark in some directions but the glow from the city centre the opposite way seemed really bright last night. I don't think the new lights appearing everywhere has helped - they seem so bright!

However, didn't stop us seeing millions of stars and some meteors.

Was good night.

Original poster
GloriaSmud · 13/08/2015 08:54

We didn't see anything here (Leicester) Our weather forecast was to look early on as cloud would move in quickly and they got it right there! Went out about 11pm and it was quite hazy with not many stars. So not great for meteor spotting but looks like for others it was a better night.

OP posts:
BigRedBall · 13/08/2015 08:58

We n

BigRedBall · 13/08/2015 09:01

We saw 9 all together. DC stayed up until 11.30...they were beautiful. I'm happy because they spotted some by themselves too! Lovely clear sky! We also made a few wishes Blush.

TheyreMadITellYouMaaaad · 13/08/2015 09:59

We each saw 3-4 last night, but only 2 were ones that we both saw. In a small SE town, but with fairly high trees around our back garden, and the shooting stars were passing almost right over our heads - at least, the ones we saw. It was lovely. And so funny to hear gasps coming from neighbouring gardens, too! I only wish we'd left the sun loungers out, it would have been much easier to watch lying down, but gruesome weather had been forecast do we had put them away earlier.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread