Topic awaiting preservation: Fire in the sky

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/22jul_perseids2005.htm

Anyone else planning on staying out late (or maybe getting up early) to catch some of the Perseid Shower?
Peak time is supposed to be tonight (Thursday night, Friday morning), from about 2AM to dawn.

This is the one meteor shower I've tried to catch every year, and so far it's never failed to impress (although there've been times when the weather didn't want to cooperate). I'm just hoping I don't have to drive too far to get away from the city lights this year, now that I'm not out in the boonies anymore.

I'll see it now, thanks.

I'm sure a telescope of some sort would make this better but do you know if it's a naked eye spectacle?

It's definitely a "naked eye spectacle." A telescope would narrow your focus too much., as most meteor showers are scattered over about a quarter of the sky.

But if you do have a telescope, you might want to point it at Mars instead (definitely check it out at the end of October if you can).

quote:

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Although closest approach is still months away, Mars is already conspicuous in the early morning. Before the sun comes up, it's the brightest object in the eastern sky, really eye-catching. If you have a telescope, even a small one, point it at Mars. You can see the bright icy South Polar Cap and strange dark markings on the planet's surface.

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[edit:
For those out in the boonies (or at least away from the city lights), it's a good time to stretch out on your roof or in a lawn chair for a few hours.

(Edited by Lord_Fukutoku on 08-11-2005 18:45)