Geminid Meteor Shower - Thoughts

[Capella]

Just got in from the garden myself really was a beautiful starry sky t-nite.

Aside from seeing some nice meteors and the odd green one (most we're fast and white) its also a great event to get those people who aren't into astronomy into the garden.

T-nite i had my gf and some friends over and i showed them Gemini, Orions belt, taurus and pliedes. I was also explaining sirius etc.

Btw what's the orange star to the east of Gemini?

[steppenwolf]

I watched for them tonight while I was imaging and I have to say that they were the best display I have seen of any of the showers - some real beauties and I lost count of them after a while. One in particular was a bright green/turquoise hue and was so beautiful that I said a rather rude word ....

[ncjunk]

What a great clear winters night over here, just saw two which appeared at the same time. short little burts....ah if only I could turn all the lights off.

Still the winter sky is looking amazing tonight.

NC

[ayrshiregazer]

Out 1:30 til 2 and 5:45 til 6:30 here in east ayshire, sw Scotland. Some absolute beauties especially in the latter session. My first shower and i have been vigourously bitten by the astronomy bug!!

[russ]

I too had two sessions. One last night from 10.30 - 11.00 (forced back in due to cloud) and then this morning (5.30 - 6.30). The morning session was far better for meteors, with the best one being the first one i saw. Must have been magnitude -4 ish and streaking through Ursa Major. The others were all mag 0 to 2 but lots of them.

By far the best shower for years.....great stuff!

[Mikea]

Btw what's the orange star to the east of Gemini?

Hi Capella, that was probably Mars - very distinctive.

[Wiltshiresaint]

Bloomin' clouds!

Couldn't do a late night session as I had an early start this morning so viewing was limited to between 6pm and 10pm. Checked a few times but complete cloud cover on all but the first occasion, when I had a 5 minute 'window' of perhaps 20% clear sky. But, did see one beauty in that period, extremely bright streaking through Andromeda. So, one Geminid.

Ah well, there's always next year...

[Teddy]

Gutted Gutted Gutted

Sat out from 9 till 23.30 and it was 95% - £100% cloud cover. I am truely gutted.

Please someone tell me that if i go out tonight there will still be enough metiors for me to see.

i live in Salford manchester by the way. Did anyone else have cloud problems !!

ARRRGGGHHHHH

[DavidB]

Saw four in half an hour near Salisbury between twelve and twelve thirty. Went indoors to watch second half of rugby match. Came out again about one o'clock and complete cloud cover. That will teach me. Take what you can when you can in UK.

[keithatrochdale]

Gutted Gutted Gutted

Sat out from 9 till 23.30 and it was 95% - £100% cloud cover. I am truely gutted.

Please someone tell me that if i go out tonight there will still be enough metiors for me to see.

i live in Salford manchester by the way. Did anyone else have cloud problems !!

ARRRGGGHHHHH

I went out 8 till 9.15 and saw a number in Todmorden, then it clouded over. Saw some the night before too, wonder what tonight will hold?

[merlinxlm]

Hi everybody, I stayed out from 21:00 until 01:30. I must have seen a few hundred in total. I must admit I did loose count, it was one of the best showers I've ever seen, so much different meteors in one night. Some fast, very fast and some slow but very colourful. One of them blew me away it was just like a very big firework with a very long bright orange tail and then it just some how exploded. Me and the wife were just gobbed smacked. I've never seen one like that before and I was chuffed that my wife saw it to. I must say that it was worth the time staying out.

Thank you.

[Ant]

I was out with the camera trying to capture a few...

In total for about an hour, I managed to see a couple, but they all occurred between shots - typical.

The meteors that I saw were nothing notable. But it sounds like you had a good time.

Ant

[Frank G4HBI]

East Manchester alomost complete could cover all evening, hit the sac at 0100 hrs

Got up again at 0245hrs still 100% cloud cover, went back to bed.

It's alway the same, whenever there's an sky event it's always cloudy.

It dosen't look like it will be any better tonight.

Good luck to you people in more favourably locations

[Numpty]

I went up Brighstone down on the Isle of Wight between 8:45 and midnight and seen an awesome shower of probably 10 as I arrived. No sooner had I set up my camera on a tripod things calmed down as though it was another day.

Apx 9:30 onwards there were some seriously long streaks directly above, probably one every 4 minutes or so. Looking down on the English channel there were some shorter and slower trails which I imagine is the angle of view to the atmosphere but impressive non the less.

I now realise that my biggest mistake was facing Meridian and not away from it, but because the initial and impressive trail was coming from the East I concentrated my view and camera in that direction, when in fact the more impressive- long and dominant trails entered away from Meridian towards the West. Listen to me, I almost sound like I know what I'm talking about

Thank you to the person linking up the 'Fluxtimator'. With the information that it generated I'm going to give it a final shot tonight and attempt some better pictures than last night.

Note to ones self: 'remember to wipe the lens frequently!'

[Phil Fargaze]

I managed another half hour at 10.30 pm and saw another two, so that was five in total, for about an hour watch. Not bad for my light polluted area.

[yeti monster]

STOP PRESS:

Monday night, flying from Hong Kong, North towards Shanghai @ 32,000 feet, clear sky above and below I had a look out of the Port window, blanket to sheild out the interior lights, I saw some real beauties, a couple of "earth grazers" and one the I could only describe a looking like a blob of white hot metal dropping, as if from a wlding arc! Absolutely brillint!

Later, whist now heading west over Outer Mongola, now at 38,000 ft, I had another look, from both Strb and Port sides and was rewarded by several more, short flashes and some nice long streakers. A succesful Geminids for me, concidering where I was, both whilst on the rig and whilst in the air. The ones in the air were by far the more spectacular, due to the observing position.