Night Sky is looking interesting over the next week

[finneyb]

The Perseid meteor shower (shooting stars) is making its annual appearance it peaks on the evening 12/13 August, but should be able to be seen from 8th. AND the International Space Station (ISS) is passing overhead for the next week or so and can be seen.

A few tips to see the shooting stars http://www.meteorwatch.org/science-obse ... e-meteors/

Times and start positions for the ISS are below. It will be the brightest object in the sky, its not difficult to spot once you've done it once. It orbits the Earth at a speed of 17,500 mph and an average height of 200 miles above Earth. It has six crew members on board, further details http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stati ... index.html. 'Station spotter' on the lefthand side of the web page tells when it will next be visible from your location.

Here are a times few to get you started. Tonight 8th Aug it can be seen at 23.01hrs starting low in the WSW finishing in the East 5 minutes later.

Enjoy

Brian

08 Aug 23:01:36 10° WSW 23:04:55 59° S 23:06:46 24° E

09 Aug 00:38:12 10° W 00:39:38 23° W 00:39:38 23° W

09 Aug 22:13:07 10° WSW 22:16:24 51° SSE 22:19:40 10° E

09 Aug 23:49:38 10° W 23:52:44 60° SSW 23:52:44 60° SSW

10 Aug 23:01:04 10° W 23:04:24 65° S 23:05:46 32° ESE

11 Aug 00:37:45 10° W 00:38:38 16° W 00:38:38 16° W

11 Aug 22:12:30 10° WSW 22:15:50 64° S 22:18:46 13° E

11 Aug 23:49:08 10° W 23:51:38 39° WSW 23:51:38 39° WSW

 

[Graham Orm]

Thanks Brian, i followed the link but it's just general information. Any ideas what time for the meteors or is it all night and where in the sky?

 

[finneyb]

Graham,

Look anywhere in the sky you want a side view to see the tail if you look at the source you will get a head on view and see nothing. Best times are from 2230hrs. Get a dark site ie no street lights or other lights that will damage your night vision. Keep warm.

They peak during the night of 12/13 August could be upto 100 per hour; but they start about now.

Tonight doesn't have a good forecast too much cloud and even rain so I wouldn't bother. Met Office site is here http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weat ... &lat=54.63

Hope that helps

Brian

 

[maltrout512]

Thanks for the heads up. Small patchy cloud at the moment,where I am, but is clearing :roll:

Many Thanks




Malcolm H Douglas

 

[finneyb]

Malcolm,

In that case ISS is a certainty at 23.01hrs starting low in the WSW finishing in the East 5 minutes later.
It will arrive to the minute. And you don't need a particularly dark site.

I'm having an early night
Brian

 

[Graham Orm]

Graham,

Look anywhere in the sky you want a side view to see the tail if you look at the source you will get a head on view and see nothing. Best times are from 2230hrs. Get a dark site ie no street lights or other lights that will damage your night vision. Keep warm.

They peak during the night of 12/13 August could be upto 100 per hour; but they start about now.

Tonight doesn't have a good forecast too much cloud and even rain so I wouldn't bother. Met Office site is here http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weat ... &lat=54.63

Hope that helps

Brian

Thanks Brian. When you say the source do you mean lower in the sky...towards the horizon?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Seen it!
TVM
S

 

[t8hants]

Just about managed to track the ISS through the cloud, off to bed now, enough excitement for one day.

G

 

[finneyb]

[[/quote]

Thanks Brian. When you say the source do you mean lower in the sky...towards the horizon?[/quote]


Graham,

The Perseus constellation, which is the general direction of the meteors source, moves through out the night (to be precise it appears to move due to the Earth rotating). This time of year it starts in the NE at dusk and moves to the SE by dawn. It climbs from about 30 deg above the horizon. More info
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/perseids.cfm

There is free software available that allows you to see the sky at your location and time, including backtracking and looking forward. You could use it to track the Perseus constellation. I use it, there is no spam etc from it. http://www.stellarium.org/

Brian

 

[finneyb]

S & G

Glad you saw it.
Tonight 9 Aug you can see consecutive orbits
Orbit 1 2223hrs WSW for 6 mins ending in the East.
Orbit 2 2349hrs in the West for 3 mins ending SSW.

The ISS is the size of two football pitches and what you are seeing is the sun reflected off its structure. This is why we can't see every orbit - we have got to be in dark with the sun just over the horizon, but not too far over, either pre dawn or after sunset. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhAjc9UTj7Q is 1.52min video shows how it was built

Brian

 

[Graham Orm]

[

Thanks Brian. When you say the source do you mean lower in the sky...towards the horizon?[/quote]


Graham,

The Perseus constellation, which is the general direction of the meteors source, moves through out the night (to be precise it appears to move due to the Earth rotating). This time of year it starts in the NE at dusk and moves to the SE by dawn. It climbs from about 30 deg above the horizon. More info
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/perseids.cfm

There is free software available that allows you to see the sky at your location and time, including backtracking and looking forward. You could use it to track the Perseus constellation. I use it, there is no spam etc from it. http://www.stellarium.org/

Brian[/quote]

Brilliant, thanks Brian.

 

[joethedrummer]

Hi all stargazers,,
While you are outside, keep an eye out for satellites passing generally south to north, we saw 8 in an hour and a half the other night, at about 11 o clock (see heavensabove.com )..
Got "planefinder" app; for ipad yesterday,, thats addictive as well.
Anyone else got a stiff neck thro" gawping at the night sky ???

 

[finneyb]

Hi all stargazers,,
While you are outside, keep an eye out for satellites passing generally south to north, we saw 8 in an hour and a half the other night, at about 11 o clock (see heavensabove.com )..
Got "planefinder" app; for ipad yesterday,, thats addictive as well.
Anyone else got a stiff neck thro" gawping at the night sky ???

Joe's spot on correct http://www.heavens-above.com is a good site, best if you register because it then keeps your location. Again no spam etc from registering. The number of things orbiting is remarkable - and don't forget there will be military uses that are not listed.

I suspect the satellites Joe is seeing are Iridium flares, (you will see them listed on heavens above). It's the sun reflecting on the satellite - usually a very short flash.

Plane Spotting -for those without an iPad (me) I use http://www.flightradar24.com for plane tracking

Brian

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

bump

 

[finneyb]

bump

Many a true word said in jest. Space debris and micro meteorites (sdmm) are a big problem. There are over 30,000 items larger than 100mm (4in) being tracked by radar constantly. Smaller than 100mm cannot be tracked but they are there in spades. ISS has to be moved out of the path of sdmm on a regular basis; cannot risk sdmm causing a puncture with subsequent loss of breathable atmosphere.

Of course the Chinese trying to be macho and destroying a satellite from Earth last year doesn't help - bits everywhere.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22299403

Brian

 

[t8hants]

Two shooting stars, two satellites, but no ISS in twenty minutes.

G

 

[Graham Orm]

Rain in Manchester..............nothing changes

 

[fetteler]

bump

Of course the Chinese trying to be macho and destroying a satellite from Earth last year doesn't help - bits everywhere.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22299403

Brian

Hey Brian, let's be fair... the Chinese are far from the first nation "trying to be macho" and to have destroyed satellites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon #-o

Cheers,
Steve.

 

[finneyb]

Two shooting stars, two satellites, but no ISS in twenty minutes.

G

Apologies - I put the wrong times in my post of 4.14am yesterday.
My first post on this thread has the correct times - because I cut and pasted that info.
Yu did better than me - all I got was cloud again.

I know, you just can't get the staff these days

Brian

 

[finneyb]

bump

Of course the Chinese trying to be macho and destroying a satellite from Earth last year doesn't help - bits everywhere.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22299403

Brian

Hey Brian, let's be fair... the Chinese are far from the first nation "trying to be macho" and to have destroyed satellites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon #-o

Cheers,
Steve.

Fair comment

Brian