The annual Perseids meteor shower is due to peak this weekend.
However, this year the peak coincides with the Full Moon, which will be on Sunday. Hence, most except the brightest ones will likely be washed out. The moon will set in the west at around 6:24am on Sat morning and 7:05am on Sun morning in Singapore (according to my planetarium program).
More info on this year's Perseids here:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/communit ... 04978.html
http://iya2009.com/perseid-meteor-showe ... esday.html
(updated for 2011)
Notwithstanding the interference from the Moon, which would add to Singapore's already heavy light pollution, a few of us plan to try looking out for the meteors this Fri night and Sat night. Best to try from midnight to dawn; look towards the northeast. The radiant point is in the constellation Perseus, near the Cassiopeia border, and will rise at around midnight in Singapore.
If anyone manages to see some Perseids, do post your observations here!
Perseids this weekend
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starfinder
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Weather maps looking good so far. Tomorrow early morning is a great time to observe Jupiter's GRS. It transits at 3.14 am saturday morning. May look more spectacular in a EdgeHD scope. 
:P
Good luck guys!
:PGood luck guys!
http://www.astro.sg
email: gary[at]astro.sg
twitter: @astrosg
"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
email: gary[at]astro.sg
twitter: @astrosg
"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
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starfinder
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Gary and I saw a bright meteor on Sat morning at 5:39am. It was brighter than all constellation stars but pehaps slightly less bright than nearby Jupiter. So perhaps around mag -2.
It appeared suddenly (of course) as a bright flash like someone striking a match, and then moved very fast for a distance of about 30 degrees. Altogether it lasted around 0.5 to 1 sec. It was not a streak of light like some other meteors, but a moving object. Gary said it looked like a tadpole; I agree. I saw it as yellowish with a slight trail behind it which was greenish.
It was in the constellation Taurus, and ran from above the Pleiades, past above the Hyades star cluster and then beyond. Tracing its path backwards, I'm quite sure it was a Perseid.
I wonder if anyone else saw it?
We did not photograph it, but below is a rough sketch which I've made of the Tadpole Meteor.
Gary saw one other meteor in the same region at 5:15am which I missed. I was so drowsy that my eyes were well shut at that time. He said it was brighter than the other one, and looked like a streak of white light. It appeared between some clouds. In addition, we saw at least two other fainter meteors (mag 2 or 3) in Perseus itself.
It appeared suddenly (of course) as a bright flash like someone striking a match, and then moved very fast for a distance of about 30 degrees. Altogether it lasted around 0.5 to 1 sec. It was not a streak of light like some other meteors, but a moving object. Gary said it looked like a tadpole; I agree. I saw it as yellowish with a slight trail behind it which was greenish.
It was in the constellation Taurus, and ran from above the Pleiades, past above the Hyades star cluster and then beyond. Tracing its path backwards, I'm quite sure it was a Perseid.
I wonder if anyone else saw it?
We did not photograph it, but below is a rough sketch which I've made of the Tadpole Meteor.
Gary saw one other meteor in the same region at 5:15am which I missed. I was so drowsy that my eyes were well shut at that time. He said it was brighter than the other one, and looked like a streak of white light. It appeared between some clouds. In addition, we saw at least two other fainter meteors (mag 2 or 3) in Perseus itself.
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Airconvent
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Hi folks:
Not many Perseids detected this time round. Aug 13 14 early am fews caught at www.nightevents.blogspot.com ( dot removed so this link works now)
Not published were a) a laundry falling from top floor to below bamboo b) a fireball straight down from upper floor to low floor. still hv not figured out why some one would throw combustible item down...
Not many Perseids detected this time round. Aug 13 14 early am fews caught at www.nightevents.blogspot.com ( dot removed so this link works now)
Not published were a) a laundry falling from top floor to below bamboo b) a fireball straight down from upper floor to low floor. still hv not figured out why some one would throw combustible item down...
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superiorstream
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Hi,All
Yes,I saw the 5:39 one---its about 5 degree from Jupiter.In fact,a similar one;slightly brighter occured at the same location on the 12 aug at almost the same time;my insensitive camera capture it as a elongated dot then.The one on the 13th aug morning go below that threshold and so capture failed.
Yes,I saw the 5:39 one---its about 5 degree from Jupiter.In fact,a similar one;slightly brighter occured at the same location on the 12 aug at almost the same time;my insensitive camera capture it as a elongated dot then.The one on the 13th aug morning go below that threshold and so capture failed.