BARBELITH underground
 

Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.


Underground > Conversation >

Meteor Shower over Northern Europe

  
 
Shortfatdyke
20:43 / 18.11.02
I'm going to try and get some sleep and then get up and, cloud cover permitting, watch the meteor shower. I'm in a fairly peculiar headspace because I've just seen Donnie Darko, and a newspaper I read this morning said the shower is believed by some to herald the end of the world, and that, if this were so, you could do worse than see the apocalypse with a mug of hot cocoa. Actually, this strikes me as more surreal than the film, and the woman at the box office who said, when I asked for tix for me and my sister, "Ah, more bunny people".

I knew too many people who thought the eclipse of the sun a few years back was a bit dull. I found it an amazing experience and I hope I get to see something tonight. Anyone else staying up for it?
 
 
Spatula Clarke
20:47 / 18.11.02
What time is this forecast for, SFD? Chances are I'll be up anyway.
 
 
Linus Dunce
20:57 / 18.11.02
I so wanted to see it and I'll have a look, but I'm:

-In London
-Underneath a layer of fog

They reportedly peak at 4 a.m. GMT. and again a few hours later, when it will be light here.
 
 
Spatula Clarke
23:01 / 18.11.02
Nice and clear here.

The eclipse was a bit of a non-event when it actually happened, surely? It was really overcast where I was and all you noticed was the sky getting a little darker for a couple of minutes, then returning to normal. If it had been a clear day I'm sure I would have been gobsmacked.

It's daft, and it probably fits in well with whatever criteria you're defining 'geek' by, but I keep on finding myself staring up at the stars on clear nights recently. Gives me that same (cliche alert) sense of awe that sitting on the sea front does.

Can't remember who it was, but I've got a huge amount of empathy for the SF writer who said that one of the drawbacks of the modern world is that nobody looks to the stars anymore.
 
 
gergsnickle
23:22 / 18.11.02
I'll be up - nice and clear here as well. Doesn't it always seem like meteor showers are visible when the moon is incredibly bright? Will that affect my seeing this? Hopefully not as I have missed other recent meteor showers due to poor weather and sleepfulness (and we in the US didn't get that eclipse a few years back, so meteor showers are pretty much the thing).

Are you a total geek for being excited about this? No, especially if it's as fantastic as they say...but bear in mind that's coming from someone who's thrilled by a single shooting star. Enjoy.
 
 
gergsnickle
23:24 / 18.11.02
Oh, and E.Randy, that sitting by the sea awe is a cliché because it's true! I think I like that best of all!
 
 
w1rebaby
23:29 / 18.11.02
It's on the east coast of the USA as well, incidentally. Not sure quite what time they'll be visible here (if at all - it's not guaranteed).

Check the NASA website tomorrow, I'm sure they'll have pics.
 
 
Ariadne
23:44 / 18.11.02
Bummer. I'm in Las Vegas so I've no chance of seeing this, I assume? Well, there are enough stars painted on the ceilings to keep me happy.
 
 
Spatula Clarke
00:06 / 19.11.02
Argh! Getting... sleeeeeppp... eeeeeee
 
 
Ariadne
00:07 / 19.11.02
What time is it due to happen?
 
 
Spatula Clarke
00:10 / 19.11.02
2 hours from now, apparently.

Is it my imagination, or was there a similar shower just a couple of months ago? I think I tried to see it, but was just too late.
 
 
gergsnickle
00:14 / 19.11.02
Well, on the east coast US it's from 11 pm to midnight and then again at 4 or 5 am - the weather guy on the TV went on for ages about this, so I hope that means it's likely as long as it stays clear. What is Las Vegas? 2 hours earlier? 3 hours? Poke your head out at these times and look eastward, Ariadne. If it's as spectacular as they say, you won't be able to miss it. Bear in mind this is coming from someone who's always missed it. But I'm darn excited this time. Laugh.
 
 
Ariadne
00:25 / 19.11.02
In two or three hours I'm likely to be in a gondola on a canal. An indoor canal.

I'm finding it all very disturbing here, but maybe I'm just jetlagged and grouchy.

I'll try to get outside and look if I can, because I'm sure you'd get a good view from here.
 
 
gergsnickle
03:00 / 19.11.02
Well, frankly that was very disappointing. Unsatisfactory. Falling short of my expectations. I just spent the last forty-five minutes staring at the sky and saw absolutely no meteors. At first I thought I saw a giant fireball, but I think it was only a plane. However, it was a lovely night with many shiny planets and stars (and moon) about, so it was okay. Did anyone have better luck?

Incidentally, the meteors per minute is supposed to rapidly peak around 5 am (east coast USA) so maybe that's what all the big deal is about...unfortunately it's getting cloudy outside, but I'll peek out the window anyway. Sweet dreams all.
 
 
Saint Keggers
03:40 / 19.11.02
The evil Frank the weather man that we have here said that all would be clear for viewing the showers...he was much mistaken. I am quite dissapointed as I was hoping to test out my digital camera mounted onto a telescope to see how it would work on moving celestial objects..oh well. a pox on his house!
 
 
ephemerat
04:02 / 19.11.02
I missed it, too.

Bo-lollocks.
 
 
Naked Flame
06:43 / 19.11.02
Ms Fishuncle very excited about this also- but cloudy here. Gah.
 
 
Ariadne
07:35 / 19.11.02
Ah, yes. Have to confess I forgot to look - and not a gondalier in sight.

Did anyone see it?
 
 
invisible_al
10:26 / 19.11.02
Arse, London is not good for this sort of thing. Btw SFD what is the night sky like down your way, are you near the sea? Always used to be one of the best things about being out of London, near the seaside, you can see everything, shooting stars especially.
I'm a night sky junkie, probably because I grew up in the big city .
 
 
Shortfatdyke
10:33 / 19.11.02
Okay, I confess to waking up, thinking if the meteors are out there, they'll fizzle and bang like fireworkzzzzzzz and falling asleep again. My father woke up around 3 am and said the cloud was very thick, nothing to be seen.

So many questions, though. Including - why on earth is Ariadne in Las Vegas??
 
 
Bear
10:41 / 19.11.02
I think she's going to rob a Casino?

I forgot all about this, I didn't get to see this thread or many others because I'm getting in trouble for using the net too much, what a lie!
 
 
woodswalker
11:01 / 19.11.02
I was out at 3:45 AM to see the show. Heavy cloud cover. I live in the lee of Lake Ontario so that's normal for November..and December. . March, April. Anyone in the Southwest US should get a great look about now. Ariadne could maybe go to the hotel roof?
 
 
Linus Dunce
11:05 / 19.11.02
Stayed up 'til three, fog didn't clear. Fog. In London. Who'd believe it?
 
 
gergsnickle
12:26 / 19.11.02
Well, it seems like I'm the only one who saw anything then...I woke up at 4 am and looked out the window and saw... 2 shooting stars. I looked a while longer but nothing 'spectacular' was happening so I went back to bed.
 
 
grant
12:38 / 19.11.02
Cloud cover here, too. Alas. Midnight - clear. 5 am - cold and cloudy.

Yarg.

Usually, meteor showers are only rewarding if you sit out there in a lounge chair for about half an hour. They kind of go in fits and starts.
 
 
Ariadne
17:02 / 19.11.02
Fell asleep drunkenly and forgot all about it. Story of my life.

(Shortfatdyke- I'm in Las Vegas for Comdex, a computer trade show. I'm geeking out on tablet PCs and PDAs and Segway scooters. Lots of fun.)
 
  
Add Your Reply