Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks 2024 AUG 11-13

[CentaurZ]

The annual Perseid Meteor Shower is already underway. The Perseids are usually the finest shower of the year. Normally at the peak more than sixty meteors per hour may be seen by some sharp-eyed folks. The Perseids are debris from the periodic comet 109P Swift-Tuttle.

The shower is expected to peak during the nights of 2024 AUG 11-12 & 12-13. Its radiant is in the constellation Perseus. That is the direction toward which the meteor tails point, but the meteors are equally likely to appear anywhere in your sky.

For observers north of the tropics, the meteors appear virtually all night, although most prolifically during the hours before dawn. This year the waxing Half Moon near the shower’s peak may provide minimal interference during the evening and none during the predawn hours.

Descriptions of the shower or perhaps even lucky photos would be welcome additions to this thread. 

[Pete Presland]

I am at the coast as usual for this shower, hopefully there will be some darkish skies on  Tankerton Beach, between Whitstable and Herne Bay.

[scotty1]

Might pick up the Aurora if you're trying for Perseids over the weekend. 

https://www.independent.co.uk/space/perseid-meteor-shower-2024-northern-lights-b2593798.html 

 

From 9th August 

https://www.spaceweather.com/

 

Edited August 9 by scotty1

[Paul M]

I've always been underwhelmed by the Perseids and haven't generally made too much effort to view the peak.

However, I'm now the proud owner of an all sky camera, sited remotely in a semi dark site location.

So here is my first definite all sky capture of a Perseid. This one was timed at 01:07 BST (UTC) August 9th.

Very pretty, I thought, even the celestial dolphin couldn't help but breach over the terminal flare...

My monitor gives it a pinkish colour tinge.

 

 

Edited August 11 by Paul M

[scotty1]

I saw two meteors 03.30am-03.40. I only looked for about 25 mins was too tired. 

Camera caught on at 04.00 which I didn't see. 

2.5 sec f3.2 ISO 800 cropped.

 

[Paul M]

@scotty1 That's a lovely, tranquil photo!

 

It was mostly clear over my allsky cam last night but I picked up just a few unexciting meteors, the best of those was a sporadic. 

Tonight's the night!! Maybe..

[scotty1]

@PaulM

Could be cloudy/thundery tonight midnight onwards for you, good luck though. 

Edited August 11 by scotty1

[pete_81]

2x bright ones over the course of 1hr from 10-11 this evening, one just between Polaris and Cass, the other due east from Barnsley, both from N to S. Meant to be clear through evening here, so quick doze before trying again in the wee hours. Anyone else any luck?

[Mognet]

I saw one when out looking at the sky after packing up the scope about 3:15 this morning. And caught another on the all sky camera too

[scotty1]

It was very humid although mostly clear skies. I knew the Aurora was being picked up so tried a few shots(about 500)

About midnight the Aurora was just showing and I saw an orange meteor low in the north.  

 

Three or four more Perseids seen out of shot a bright one heading west beneath Polaris. 

Around 01.40 the Aurora picked up suddenly, and luckily a Perseid appeared. 

I didn't see it so must of been facing away, but thought I saw a small flash. 

 

 

Edited August 13 by scotty1

[wulfrun]

I went up to the society's dark(er) site around dusk last night (Sun 11th). From about 10.30pm-11.30pm I saw 6 or 7 Perseids. One left a trail through Cygnus that lasted maybe a half-second. One very short one shot through Ursa Major. The rest were "average". Around 11.30pm, some high, thin cloud started moving in and spoiling things, so I gave up then.

[Elp]

Just uploaded mine:

 

[happy-kat]

Lots of great images shared. I ran the all sky facing west/north and a camera with intervalometer running east, picked a bright one up once on each camera. I'll try again tonight it's looking clear. 

edit: clear sky but nothing meteor note worthy, very pale aurora pillars for several minutes on 12th around BST 23:03, 23:25 and 00:01

Edited August 13 by happy-kat

[andrew63]

It's better here tonight  than yesterday. Already saw a couple  with an orange glow - in the west and low down in the south. And a cracker up by Vega leaving  a trail just after 11ish.

Edited August 12 by andrew63
info.

[Peter Drew]

A brief half hour last night, thin cloud in very wide streaks.  Saw one Perseid below Ursa Major.  A very bright flare from a satellite passing under Cassiopeia travelling North at 11.50pm.  Saw five Perseids the previous night during a similar time period.   🙂

[happy-kat]

Got lucky last night a bright meteor right by the Pleiades before lots more cloud.  Canon 1100d 24mm pancake f2.8 10 seconds ISO1600 14/08/2024 01:47 BST using an intervalometer this is a crop from the original, on the original you can even pick out blue nebulosity pixels around some of the Pleiades stars, taken through a window.

[happy-kat]

Even thought the pancake lens is a fly by wire manual focuser I've found the following works. The 1100d is set to back button focus, during daytime I set focus on infinity object using autofocus, then I switch the lens to manual focus, then turn off the camera. Nighttime set camera to M mode and turn on, focus is still the same as set earlier now I chose exposure length, aperture and iso etc. plug in intervalometer and set up, place camera where I want it and go start timer.