Topic: Perseid meteor shower 2016: Once in a decade 'outburst' expected 100 per hour at the peak or MORE
Syntax started this discussion 10 years ago #54,581
Remember those fond memories as a kid, staying up late to witness the spectacular?“Absolutely stunning” – how else does one describe something so magical? Ge ready for something spectacular.
The Perseid meteor shower officially started on the 17th of July, but will be peaking around the 11th – 13th of August. Last seen in 1992 and only returning in 2026, don’t risk missing out!
Witnessed over 2 000 years, the comet which cause the Perseid shower was only discovered in 1862. The comet has been named 109P or “Swift-Tuttle”.
Bursting into light before they vaporize, small particles the size of grains to marbles, made mostly of rocks and dust are shed from the comet. They enter at a speed of up to 100,000 miles per hour and heat up to the point of them literally exploding. Rarely, a particle may reach the Earth, if it manages to hit the ground, it’s considered a meteorite. What is truly amazing is the damage such a tiny particle can leave behind!
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab has predicted up to 100 meteors per hour will be spotted during the Perseid meteor shower’s peak.
The trick is to find the place with the least amount of light pollution, the darker the better. You may even have to travel out into the countryside if you reside in the city. A telescope won’t be necessary – this shower is visible with the naked eye! Aim for just after midnight, this will be the clearest sight possible.
A few facts on the Perseid meteor shower:
This “beautiful” phenomena is actually the comet’s trash
The Swift Tuttle’s diameter is about 16 miles
Repeatedly passing the Earth, it is known as the largest object identified to do so
People in the 1990’s believed the comet would collide with the Earth and end our world. This theory was speedily debunked.
The Perseid meteor shower officially started on the 17th of July, but will be peaking around the 11th – 13th of August. Last seen in 1992 and only returning in 2026, don’t risk missing out!
Witnessed over 2 000 years, the comet which cause the Perseid shower was only discovered in 1862. The comet has been named 109P or “Swift-Tuttle”.
Bursting into light before they vaporize, small particles the size of grains to marbles, made mostly of rocks and dust are shed from the comet. They enter at a speed of up to 100,000 miles per hour and heat up to the point of them literally exploding. Rarely, a particle may reach the Earth, if it manages to hit the ground, it’s considered a meteorite. What is truly amazing is the damage such a tiny particle can leave behind!
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab has predicted up to 100 meteors per hour will be spotted during the Perseid meteor shower’s peak.
The trick is to find the place with the least amount of light pollution, the darker the better. You may even have to travel out into the countryside if you reside in the city. A telescope won’t be necessary – this shower is visible with the naked eye! Aim for just after midnight, this will be the clearest sight possible.
A few facts on the Perseid meteor shower:
This “beautiful” phenomena is actually the comet’s trash
The Swift Tuttle’s diameter is about 16 miles
Repeatedly passing the Earth, it is known as the largest object identified to do so
People in the 1990’s believed the comet would collide with the Earth and end our world. This theory was speedily debunked.
This year’s installment of the Perseid meteor shower is expected to deliver a double dose of shooting stars streaking across the night sky.
The celebrated cosmic show — which will reach its maximum intensity in the early hours of Friday morning — is known for the high number of spectacular meteors on display.
In past years, stargazers would have seen up to one meteor each minute, on average, in a very dark sky. But this year, there’s even more reason to stay up late or crawl out of bed in the middle of the night.
“We’re expecting 160 to 200 meteors per hour,” said Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.
The celebrated cosmic show — which will reach its maximum intensity in the early hours of Friday morning — is known for the high number of spectacular meteors on display.
In past years, stargazers would have seen up to one meteor each minute, on average, in a very dark sky. But this year, there’s even more reason to stay up late or crawl out of bed in the middle of the night.
“We’re expecting 160 to 200 meteors per hour,” said Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.
Please STOP Reading at this point and make plans - Reading below this will just make some of you Nuts
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I am plying hooky from any work today. Its going to be a day of Total Play. Looked around for something fun to do and Nature Provides those who are willing to step away and smell the Roses.
May I suggest You All gather a few friends and enjoy what nature provides for FREE. Fireworks for a couple of nights and its best done with friends while you lay out a large tarp/blanket and form kinda a ring so people can see and yell out LOOK at This - Look at That - Tonight it should be one of those rare nights when your head cannot move fast enough to catch ALL. Make it a quick pot luck event and invite friends.
Alas living here at the Beach comes with on occasion a hidden view of the sky in the evenings because of a Marine Layer - Kinda like a high fog in sky that even drops tiny drops of mist - Totally NO Good for a view of Meteors EXCEPT last night a few broke through but a few is 2Few
So I put together a trip to HELL for a View - A party in Hell and I do mean Hell. Anza Borrego desert which door to door is a 2.5 hour trip. Anza Borrego is a Fantastic place to do a day trip for hiking - Amazing desert flowers - a total carpet of colors IN the Early Spring - Feb-March- early May - past the 15th of May it turns into Totally Hell on Earth HOT HOT HOT
Driving UP with 4 cars so far and probably more when the word gets out and 4cast says 96 degrees for the full 2.5 hour drive - Actually if all goes as planned when we exit the cars it will be 84 and as we lay out for Natures Show it will be around 80 degrees so of course lots of cold adult beverages will keep all Cool
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
Syntax (OP) double-posted this 10 years ago, 30 seconds later[^] [v] #709,603
