Dicky de Builder Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Hi all Was out last night observing and saw several meteors over the space of about two hours. Is this an average rate or the start of the Geminids? Gemini was quite high and they were largely moving away from it ( I did have a glassette of wine:o). Also had my first glimpse of Mars and a good view of M43 ( just love looking at Orion). Had a bit of a problem locating NGC 2244, think I saw it but it didn’t seem very smudgy. A reasonable clear night in Devon at last:hello2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Martin Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 The geminids should peak around late sunday early monday were there could be up too a hundred a hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I think i read somewhere they were hoping for 160 per hour at the peak.I had a bit of rubbish night last night but when i stepped out this morning and looked up, i saw two meteors in the space of a minute. They both seemed to be originating from Gemini, so i'm quite excited for the maximum. Just hope the weather plays nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Martin Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Gemini is in a nice high part of the sky and will hopefully give a good show all signs are leading that way with good sightings last night. the figures are just a estimate and I think no one can tell for sure and have read different figures on many different sites. Lets just hope its a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkerSky Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Saw 3 bright geminids in around 2 hours last night...just casually as most of the time I was at the eyepiece or sketching. I think the run-up rate for the Geminids towards peak, like the Perseids, is pretty good on numbers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 yeah, i was out too last night, and observed a couple of them, one of which was really birght through the northern bit of Orion.Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beamer3.6m Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Where is the best place to look for the meteors. I have heard 90 degrees to the radiant but where would that be for the geminids? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkerSky Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 45 degrees from the radiant is best, the radiant being in the constellation Gemini. I have always found the geminids easy to spot so move my eyes around the sky. If it's a good year you're likely to spot them pretty much anywhere across the sky travelling away from the radiant. Just scan the constellations E, N and W of Gemini and you'll see some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Most of the brighter Geminids i have seen over the last couple of years were between Gemini and Orion. As said above "scan the sky". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti monster Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Gemini has just breached the horizon here, so I'll be going out onto the helideck shortly to see what I can see......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti monster Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 And Mars will be up after 22:00, if it looks promising I'll borrowing the binos from the control room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud9 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 I was out in an area of no light pollution last night and i thought i saw a meteor in the north. However i cant confirm because i had been drinking at the time . Really beautiful night though where i was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky de Builder Posted December 12, 2009 Author Share Posted December 12, 2009 My local forecast has clear skies till just after midnight so will get out the deck chair, quilt and bottle of red. After 5 weeks of cloud there’s a lot of observing to do!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti monster Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Don't fall asleep then...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti monster Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Intermittent cloudage here, very frustrating, but I'll keep popping out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud9 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Intermittent cloudage here, very frustrating, but I'll keep popping out.exactly the same here in Kent. Sat24 reckons heavy cloud by 9/10ish so im not too hopeful tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypraktica Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Here in Kent at the moment (nearing 8.30 in the evening) there are stars visible, and after the best part of a bottle of Chilean Merlot, I can still see them, so I will keep the "bins" handy, and keep popping outside in an hour or so's time (in between the goals on Match of the Day). Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 in belgium, i have not yet seen geminids becasue of the weather but it's simple to see and prepare that by stellarium.Arnaud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky de Builder Posted December 12, 2009 Author Share Posted December 12, 2009 Devon 21:20ish. Just popped out for a minute and two meteors within 5 minutes. Gemini still a bit low. One racing from Castor to Polaris, the other from Betelgeuse to Gemini hmmmmmmm! Quote "Here in Kent at the moment (nearing 8.30 in the evening) there are stars visible, and after the best part of a bottle of Chilean Merlot"Come on andypraktica the geminids at least deserve a bottle of Rioja:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_h Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Just stood at the back door having a smoke, glanced up at Orion and - zip! Geminid passed the 'belt'. How lucky was that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti monster Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 No joy last night, the clouds seemingly relentless procession from the east giving less and less glimpses of stars.I am hoping that tonight will be much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris H Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Not a cloud in the sky here in North Wales and lots of meteors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_h Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Just seen 3 more, cloud comming in from the north now tho so it looks like thats it for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy jack Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Friday before last I was involved in a car accident when a Taxi kindly pulled out in front of me. Until tonight the full implication was lost on me. Joy of joys the first clear night for weeks, out goes the OTA for cooling and I can do a bit of meteor watching while I wait. Look up for a few seconds and crunch, click, OUCH!!! Looks like I will be missing the Geminids and any potential to use my telescope for a little while. Sick as a parrot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Well it was cloudy at 11pm when i went to bed. I woke at 5am and it was still cloudy. Not as cloudy...but still cloudy. Gemini is sitting somewhere out there directly west from my bedroom window and all i can see is mostly cloud,small break and a very weird cat just sitting in the middle of the road. Maybe the cat is also hoping to see some meteors. Least i know exactly where Gemini will be this time 24hrs....so i can observe from the comfort of my room. I'll head out back earlier sunday night when it is rising in the east and spend a few hrs out there with my camera before getting a few hrs sleep and rising before 5am to look out front.sounds good in theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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