Moan and Groan Thread - No Perseids - Why?

[Mr Q]

It seems almost every year my reason is either clouds or the Moon. Last year I was in New Mexico, U.S. with superb dark skies and only a couple seen. Can't seem to see a decent shower since my lucky break back in the 90s when I saw my first (and only) Perseid meteor storm (1,000/hour +).

So what's your reason(s) for not seeing this year's shower ?

And, if there is anyone out there that has any pictures or better, videos, PLEASE try to post them so we can all enjoy some of the Perseids :rolleyes:

[Capricorn]

Looked for several years and really no showers have actually appeared to any extent.

One site today I read said yoiu could see up to 10 an hour for the Persids.

I would expect 10 in an hour any night, maybe not from a defined area but I cannot see that 10 in an hour is a hour is a lot.

Have found that some of the minor showers have more then the major showers.

[freeflyjay]

couldn`t say if theres been any with all the clouds...supposed to peak tonight but still cloudy, i`ve just cracked open a bottle of brandy to commiserate

[Mr Q]

Same here. On any clear night, been seeing up to 15 per hour before midnight from overlapping showers and sporadics. This will continue into the fall. Been seeing a few bolides (fireballs) past few months so can't really complain too much. Just that the Perseids are one of the best showers of the year and I rarely get to see one.

[davy999]

if its cloudy then you can watch them via radio astronomy online 24/7

(i know its not the same but better than nothing)

Here is the link to the SPAM network of the Norman Lockyer Observatory.

http://www.merriott-astro.co.uk/spam3D.htm

[LukeSkywatcher]

Friday night i went out for an hour and i saw one sporadic. Then the clouds rolled in after what was a perfectly clear sky all day and all night. Saturday night was just solid clouds all night.

[leemanley]

Friday night i went out for an hour and i saw one sporadic. Then the clouds rolled in after what was a perfectly clear sky all day and all night. Saturday night was just solid clouds all night.

Do you live in my back garden ?

Exactly the same situation here in Pickmere, cheshire

[crashtestdummy]

have seen a few here and there over the last week this year but clouds will stop tonight being a viewing night

[faulksy]

It seems almost every year my reason is either clouds or the Moon. Last year I was in New Mexico, U.S. with superb dark skies and only a couple seen. Can't seem to see a decent shower since my lucky break back in the 90s when I saw my first (and only) Perseid meteor storm (1,000/hour +).

So what's your reason(s) for not seeing this year's shower ?

i seen that mr q it was like rain, everywere you looked you could see meteors. was it about 94 - 95

[JamesF]

Perhaps many of them just aren't visible to the unaided eye now?

James

[Photosbykev]

This year was my first serious look for the Perseids. I've seen far more satellites orbiting overhead this last week than meteors.

Life goes on .... What's the next challenge/target ?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Blame Apple for the typos and me for the content

[JB80]

Not sure why you guys had such a rough trot, last night in an hour and a half before the haze came in properly I counted 11 which is the most successful I have had in years.

It was thoroughly enjoyable.

[Davey-T]

Just what do the weather forcasters mean by "a clear sky " they've said two nights running it would be clear and I've got set up to try and photograph a few Persieds and all I

got was clouds

Dave

[Mr Q]

Most major shower lists say that 60 - 100 per hour can be seen during the peak (which there are always several different times listed for any shower) under dark skies. For nominal dark skies (some LP), I would assume some where between 20 and 40 should be seen per hour after local midnight.

Then there are those off years when the shower seems to be a bust no mater where you are viewing from around the world.

This major shower is well known for spectacular bolides and that's another reason (besides the warm viewing weather) that irks me when clouds or the Moon interfers.

I guess when all is said and done, even these "dependable" showers can be a let down due to several reasons.

Lets see...the next shower is the... here we go again :grin:

[LukeSkywatcher]

Bring on the Geminids (early Dec). Really bright slow moving meteors. My favourite shower if i am honest. At least i can say i gave it my best shot to see them.

[Mr Flibble]

Saw quite a good show a couple of years ago until it clouded over after midnight. Probably about 1 or 2 per min.

I saw a few this friday night but only one that might have been an actual perseid, but I did have my eyeball glued to the eyepiece for most of the time

[Celtic Deacon]

I'd be happy to see anything, seems as if it's been cloudy since I got scope in March! There was a vid on BBC site earlier made by a guy on Lleyn peninsula in N Wales.

[Doley68]

I have always though the word ''shower'' is very misleading. Went out last night under reasonable skies and saw three perseids & one sporadic in about thirty minutes. Nice but hardly more than any night really.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I'd be happy to see anything, seems as if it's been cloudy since I got scope in March! There was a vid on BBC site earlier made by a guy on Lleyn peninsula in N Wales.

I'm only a few miles west of you (East coast Dublin) and i can vouch for it that it pretty much has been cloudy since March in this little corner of the world.

[sologuitarist61]

I think the time may have come to stop referring to these events as 'showers'. If there is one thing that they aren't it is a shower.

It is my experience over the years that these events are getting less and less shower-like, is the cometary debris becoming less I wonder, or has the Earth;s orbit taken it away from the path of maximum density?

[LukeSkywatcher]

I think the time may have come to stop referring to these events as 'showers'. If there is one thing that they aren't it is a shower.

It is my experience over the years that these events are getting less and less shower-like, is the cometary debris becoming less I wonder, or has the Earth;s orbit taken it away from the path of maximum density?

I really dont know. Could the solar wind have something to do with dispersing the "clouds" of debris over the years?. Maybe showers are stronger during the yrs of solar minimum and weaker during the yrs of solar maximum?

[Mr Flibble]

I'd be happy to see anything, seems as if it's been cloudy since I got scope in March! There was a vid on BBC site earlier made by a guy on Lleyn peninsula in N Wales.

Here it is.

[pgwenlan]

I was out on Friday from 9:30 - 12:30, and saw 4 plus 2 sporadics. had the camera taking 30 sec exposures (104 pics in total) and got none...

Glad it was a mild evening and cloudless - it was nice just to sit and stargaze! Been total cloud cover since, so not a wasted evening.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Here it is.

The frames per second on that time lapse are too fast (too many?) to be able to tell what is a meteor and what is a satellite or aircraft. The Milky Way looks amazing though.

[Rosencratz]

The frames per second on that time lapse are too fast (too many?) to be able to tell what is a meteor and what is a satellite or aircraft. The Milky Way looks amazing though.

Agreed, anything that appears to move or last longer than a single frame is a satellite.

I shot this at the same location. I know I have some frames with meteors in but they're not really noticable among the other 24 frames in a given second.

All those lines are your average numbers of satellites.

Only the last five seconds are from this (persied shower) weekend.

The rest is from anywhere over the past month.

If you watch at 720p sorry for the noise, i'm still new to this.