What Leonids!!!

[sologuitarist61]

If you had a time machine then 1833 would have been a good year.

Wikipedia says.. "One estimate is over one hundred thousand meteors an hour,[8] but another, done as the storm abated, estimated in excess of two hundred thousand meteors an hour[1]"

Can you imagine?

Know my luck I would get into my time machine, dial in 1833, and step out at the other end in heavy rain (and not of meteors)

[Vince1963]

Looking towards the Geminids now as last years offered me my best meteor spotting night since I took up the hobby - over 30 in 90 minutes

Yes Lorne lets hope this is a better shower...Fingers crossed.

[Astrobits]

The Leonids peak approximately every 33 years, the last Grand Max was in 1999. I went to Portugal and had a brilliant time. The estimated peak rate was around 5000 per hour! At one point we saw 5 meteors at once! I videoed for about 2 hours and have edited it down to 6 minutes. I caught quite a few brighter ones on the video and many more OOH's and AAH's and "another one"'s on the sound track.

Nigel

[bus_ter]

Do you have the video on Youtube or anything?

[Vince1963]

Wow! Nigel, Wish i'd seen it.... Do you have the video on you tube?. Hope i see the big one in 2032.

[Astrobits]

Sorry, not on Youtube, at least not yet. I have only recently returned from South Africa and am not up to speed with all these options. The connection speed from rural S.A. was not very good, especially as we had to rely on a mobile connection ( edge not 3g ) after the phone line was stolen again and the telcom company said that was the 25th time and that was enough and would not replace it!

Nigel

[Astrobits]

O.K. Youtube sorted already. Here's the link:

Nigel

[Vince1963]

Thanks for sharing that Nigel... Is that Cassiopeia i can just make out on the left?

[LukeSkywatcher]

Nice video of the 1999 shower. The commentary sounds like it was one hell of a shower compared to captured images on video.

I cant wait for this years Geminids. Its my favourite shower. Its been a couple of yrs since i have seen it ..........due to cloud.

Fingers crossed for this year.

[Astrobits]

Yes. The first view is of the bowl of the Big Dipper, Cass appears in the second view and at the end is Leo. Did you see the head-on meteor at the end? There is a hot pixel just below and left of centre which looks like a star and distorts the constellation patterns.

There were a number of people around us including Roger W Tuthill from the 'states. Some might remember his adverts in Sky & Telescope as "Your Astronomical Friend".

Nigel

[Vince1963]

Hi Nigel... Yes seen that.. I must admit i thought it was just the camera interference (not sure what technical word to use there ) but now you mention it i see that now..