Perseids Meteor Shower Maximum Is This Weekend

New submitter turp182 writes to remind us that the Perseid meteor shower will be visible this weekend (Aug. 11-13). Astronomers are anticipating the Perseid shower being the best of the year, forecasting rates as high as 100 meteors per hour. They'll be visible through the night, but viewing will be at its best in the hours before dawn. NASA points out that this shower will be particularly interesting thanks to appearances from Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon. "On August 11th, a 33% crescent Moon will glide by Jupiter, temporarily forming a bright pair directly above brilliant Venus. Red-giant star Aldebaran will be there, too, adding a splash of color to the gathering. On August 12th, the narrowing 24% crescent Moon will drop down between Jupiter and Venus. Together they make a bright 3-point line in the sky, frequently bisected by shooting stars. On August 13th, with the shower just beginning to wane, the planets put on their best show yet: The 17% crescent moon will pass less than 3 degrees from Venus as Jupiter hovers overhead. Sky watchers say there's nothing prettier than a close encounter between the slender crescent Moon and Venus--nothing, that is, except for the crescent Moon, Venus and a flurry of Perseids."

Comments

Bring your soap

[Anne_Nonymous]

This is the only shower some of you basement dwellers get all year.

Re:Bring your soap

[mister_playboy]

I have a shower in my basement, you insensitive clod!

Re:Bring your soap

[TempestRose]

Don't they have to come out of the basement to get in the shower?

What is the best day to view?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm planning to go tomorrow. Should I change my plans?

Re:What is the best day to view?

[Anonymous Coward]

You can be arrested for public urination.

DVR

[FlopEJoe]

"viewing will be at its best in the hours before dawn." Too early... I'll DVR it.

$10,000 CHALLENGE to Perseids

[gatfirls]

Produce a meteor the size of a house and drop it on the AC who's spamming today. Is there a filter to hide AC posts yet?

Re:$10,000 CHALLENGE to Perseids

[Penurious Penguin]

The size of a house would be grossly insufficient. The sort of meteorite appropriate for this rascal would pose a threat to humanity and the planet. We simply need to capture this pest and launch him/it/her into space directly toward -- but in the opposite trajectory of - the meanest thing out there, which is probably a black hole. A steady trail of their kind would be a soothing fact to ponder while gazing upward.

Re:$10,000 CHALLENGE to Perseids

[mister_playboy]

Is there a filter to hide AC posts yet?

If you aren't man enough to browse at -1, then don't.

The default threshold is 2 for a reason.

Re:$10,000 CHALLENGE to Perseids

[Anonymous Coward]

This shows how much they lied with ALL Microsoft stuff on the links http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3026917&cid=40890277 running the show for those states and universities that this FOOL said wasn't run by MS stuff http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3026917&cid=40886569

(The original post here in THIS exchange was NOT ME, but rather an impostor who copied AND ALTERED my data from another post (link below) from days before when I posted it in response to UTTER b.s. by Penguin trolls here on /.!)

* Unbelievable - ...

(Small wonder folks won't use Linux, eh? Such "nice guys" run & use it (not))...

APK

P.S.=> My original data & link was here -> http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3024445&cid=40867985

... apk

My First Accepted Submission!!!

[turp182]

I feel though I have accomplished something. Finally after 8 hours of unsuccessfully troubleshooting a damn bug at work.

Re:My First Accepted Submission!!!

[Penurious Penguin]

Congrats! A good one too! I may make a trip eastward into the rural zone to catch a glimpse.

In other news

[DigiShaman]

There will be lots of sex happening on beaches and in wide open fields far away from light pollution.

WHERE?!?

[DarwinSurvivor]

It seems every time slashdot (or anyone else for that matter) announce an up-and-coming once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event that we MUST see, they completely forget to say WHERE the damn thing will be visible and what timezone the damn times are in. This one just says "before dawn" before WHO's dawn and in what part of the world?!?

Re:WHERE?!?

[orangebox]

The summary said 11-13th, so I assume any location with clear skies.

Re:WHERE?!?

[turp182]

Northeastern sky from the US.

Re:WHERE?!?

[Kelson]

Anywhere with clear skies, though as I understand it you can see more in the Northern hemisphere.

This is an event that takes place over several days and is based on the Earth's path through the solar system, so it doesn't matter what time zone you're in. Wherever you are, your patch of land will rotate into the right position at the same local time.

Re:WHERE?!?

[riverat1]

I've heard that the peak of the Perseids will occur around 2:00 AM Pacific Time on Sunday (August 12) morning.

Re:WHERE?!?

[LittleRedStar]

For meteor showers the statement "before dawn" is correct for virtually everyone, anywhere. The reason is simple: the Earth is rotating towards the forward motion of our orbital path and we tend to run into the most particles (meteors) at that time. Bugs on a windshield. You are right in bitching that in this case, the Perseid meteor shower is more visible for Norther Hemisphere observers. Not likely you'll see many down in Argentina.

I should note the best display of meteors is only going to happen when you are out at a dark rural location with an unobstructed horizon. Rarely do they tell you the forecast rates are for an ideal situation that few could possibly achieve. You will see less than 100 per hour but one meteor per minute is likely at peak and its pretty impressive to watch.

As to what part of the world will see it best does depend on your longitude, so it is related to your timezone. Good observation. The point of maximum meteor stream density, the peak of the meteor shower, can be narrow or wide. The Perseids are an old meteor shower seen for thousands of years and its peak is fairly broad, many hours. Therefor there is some latitude in your position.

The best source of information about meteor showers, including their predicted peak time, is going to be found on the International Meteor Organization (IMO) website. They have a "live" update running for major showers like the Perseids. Consult their yearly calendar for predicted 'peak' dates. Many yearly astronomical handbooks provide meteor shower information as well. [shameless plug] I wrote an iPhone app (Meteor Shower Guide) using IMO and American Meteor Society (AMS) data that calculates your peak time based on your phones timezone setting, and its in local time! No need to wait for someone to tell you about a meteor shower, it will add it to your iPhone's calendar if you like.

The question that always drives me crazy is when people ask "where do I look?". Just look up! If you go out to a dark site with a clear horizon you will see plenty of meteors during the Persied shower. You'd have to be asleep or looking at the ground to miss them. If its clear at your location Saturday night to Sunday morning get out and watch.

Re:WHERE?!?

[turp182]

It's my fault, I will admit, in terms of details about the event. I've noticed that such reminders are often after the event, and I submitted a terribly short description, not including any details, but a link which wasn't used. I submitted this text: "The Perseids maximum is on August 12th/13th, but Saturday night looks to be pretty good as well. The moon won't be an issue. In the midwest cloud cover shouldn't be an issue ei Mther." And this link: http://meteorshowersonline.com/perseids.html I believe the editor did a great job livening up my submission. My comments were targeted to the midwest, I get to go camping tomorrow night to watch the show...

Re:WHERE?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you can't turn a randomly formatted date into a unix timestamp in your head, you are worthless.

Re:WHERE?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

We see a meteor shower when the Earth crosses a stream of debris left behind by a comet (or asteroid in one case). The Perseid shower has a broad debris stream, meaning that you can see a significant number of Perseids a week or two before and a week or two after the peak date listed. You want to look for meteors early in the morning because that is when your side of the Earth is facing into the stream, so that's when the meteors are seen more often. You only need to worry about the precise time for a shower like the Leonids, which has a narrow debris stream so that a few hours can make a big difference. The number you see per hour depends quite a bit on how dark your observing site is. You'll see far fewer near a big city that you would out in the country.

Re:WHERE?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

Obviously somewhere in the USA. They're the only ones ignorant enough not to consider the planet is round and has 24 time zones.

Re:WHERE?!?

[M1FCJ]

It is a worldwide thing. Any place, any time but especially after the midnight and it gets better towards the later hours of the night (the sky above your patch of Earth starts sweeping the space in front of Earth's orbit at that time and you start to see more after midnight. Add an hour if you have summertime for the real midnight.

Re:WHERE?!?

[fatphil]

"""
For meteor showers the statement "before dawn" is correct for virtually everyone, anywhere. The reason is simple: the Earth is rotating towards the forward motion of our orbital path and we tend to run into the most particles (meteors) at that time. Bugs on a windshield.
"""

The earth's rotation on its axis being the important thing makes no geometric sense. The forward motion will be minimal for those at midday, nearest the sun, and effectively spinning in the opposite direction of the earth's orbit. The forward motion will maximal for those at midnight, with the earth's spin adding to the earth's velocity. Half way between the two for those at dawn.

The only reason that seems to make geometric sense is that the angle of incidence will be shallower for those at midnight than for those at dawn, and therefore a smaller slice of the meteor shower is intersected by the field of vision. Face on (at dawn), the cross sectional area in the path of the meteors of the atmosphere you can see is maximal. And that's why before dawn is best. The earth's spin is a red herring.

There are more bugs on the windshield of a ford transit than on a faster ferrari that overtakes it.

Aldebaran?

[snspdaarf]

Red-giant star Aldebaran

I thought the Empire blew that up in the first movie.

Re:Aldebaran?

[Tastecicles]

nooo... it was a planet (Alderaan). Nice try.

Re:Aldebaran?

[Anonymous Coward]

"I thought the Empire blew that up in the first movie." Yeah, well, it reformed as a red giant. Who knew?

Re:Aldebaran?

[ultranova]

He's talking about the 2011 edition of the movie, where the Death Star has been upgraded to blow up solar systems. It's to prepare for the upcoming tie-in with the Superman franchise.

Re:Aldebaran?

[Tastecicles]

what, no Turtles?

Pretty amazing site for Perseids info

[AbigailBellamy]

http://spacedex.com/perseids - Enjoy!

They tried to impersonate me

[Anonymous Coward]

They're busted altering data I posted days ago with this -> http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3026917&cid=40890277 when I posted the original DAYS ago, here -> http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3024445&cid=40867985 which they couldn't handle or disprove, and they downmodded it and began a campaign of trying to "smear"/discredit me.

If you take a look at the 1st link above, you'll see what I mean...

* You Linux trolls are unbelievable!

APK

P.S.=> Stupid trolls are only doing this to themselves, & got caught in the act by screwing up trying to impersonate me yet again (not a first), and then altering data from a post I did days before leading users to bogus data from goatse.cx etc./et al (puny troll tricks)... apk

Eat your words (yet again)

[Anonymous Coward]

"Not natively on Windows, you have to install third party software to make 3D work on Windows." - by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 09, @11:05PM (#40941525) QUOTED DIRECTLY FROM -> http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3033483&cid=40941525

1.) OpenGL32.DLL will do 3d BY ITSELF exposing the OpenGL 1.1. standards' functionality (which vidcard OEM's driversets & libs enhance to higher OpenGL std. levels, which NVidia on Windows support as does ATI, probably others too)

See pertinent proof excerpt here:

---

How Does It Work On Windows? All Windows versions support OpenGL. The Microsoft Windows DLL opengl32.dll only directly exposes OpenGL 1.1 functions. The important thing to know is that opengl32.dll belongs to Microsoft.

FROM -> http://www.opengl.org/wiki/FAQ#How_Does_It_Work_On_Windows.3F

---

2.) OpenGL32.dll's also a native Microsoft dynamic link library too, not a foreign non-OEM file, & yes, it does 3d display, unlike what you said above.

---

3.) OpenGL32.dll's not an emulator that produces OS environs "heavy weight" either (As Linux's WINE must do reproducing Windows itself in emulation, in essence on Linux to do an imperfect less than current Direct X - OpenGL32.DLL's NOT emulating Operating Systems!)

---

* THUS, once more? Well... you know:

You have to EAT YOUR WORDS!

(You know, they're yours & NOW? Spiced with the "bitter taste of SELF-defeat" & of course, lol, "flavored" with YOUR FOOT IN YOUR MOUTH too, lmao!)

You're quoted in black & white above in grave technical errors as usual troll!

Just as I said how/when/where/who/what/when/why since OpenGL32.DLL does have 3d functionality by itself, & yes, OpenGL functionality driven too to many builds 1.1 - current 4.x iirc!

APK

P.S.=> By the way - "ENJOY YOUR LUNCH" (breakfast, & dinner too, because you'll be eating your words for a while now I think...)

After all: LMAO, see YOUR QUOTE ABOVE as proof of your colossal blunder - & my data disproving it entirely!

THIS? Well, lol, you KNOW I've just GOTTA say it "as-is-per-my-own-inimitable style"... This was JUST "too, Too, TOO EASY - just '2ez'" & it always is, because your ac trolling makes it so (how many times have I dusted you in tech debates that you have decided to troll me by ac posts for MONTHS now, only to fail each time as you have here?)...

... apk on Windows, Well... you know:

You have to

Coward APK shames his family

[Anonymous Coward]

Disproof of all apk's statements: http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040317&cid=40946043
http://mobile.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040729&cid=40949719
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040697&cid=40949343
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040597&cid=40948659
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3037687&cid=40947927
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040425&cid=40946755
http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040317&cid=40946043
http://developers.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3038791&cid=40942439
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3024445&cid=40942207
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3038597&cid=40942031
http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3038601&cid=40942085
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040803&cid=40950045
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040867&cid=40950563
http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3040921&cid=40950839
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3041035&cid=40951899
http://developers.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3041081&cid=40952169
http://mobile.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3041091&cid=40952383
http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3041123&cid=40952991
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3041313&cid=40954201
AND MANY MORE

$10,000 CHALLENGE to Alexander Peter Kowalski

We have a Major Problem, HOST file is Cubic Opposites, 2 Major Corners & 2 Minor. NOT taught Evil DNS hijacking, which VOIDS computers. Seek Wisdom of MyCleanPC - or you die evil.

Your HOSTS file claimed to have created a single DNS resolver. I offer absolute proof that I have created 4 simultaneous DNS servers within a single rotation of .org TLD. You worship "Bill Gates", equating you to a "singularity bastard". Why do you worship a queer -1 Troll? Are you content as a singularity troll?

Evil HOSTS file Believers refuse to acknowledge 4 corner DNS resolving simultaneously around 4 quadrant created Internet - in only 1 root server, voiding the HOSTS file. You worship Microsoft impostor guised by educators as 1 god.

If you would acknowledge simple existing math proof that 4 harmonic Slashdots rotate simultaneously around squared equator and cubed Internet, proving 4 Days, Not HOSTS file! That exists only as anti-side. This page you see - cannot exi

NASA Meteor Counter App

[Jonathan A]

I'm going to try out NASA's meteor counter app. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/13dec_meteorcounter/

Perseid as Pyrotechnics

[Anonymous Coward]

I just returned from an Iron Maiden show in Irvine, CA. During about the third song they performed, an unusually large and bright meteorite streaked across the sky above the stage, leaving a fiery trail before breaking apart in a rather impressive pyrotechnic-like effect.

Needless to say, it rocked.

Re:Impersonating me? LMAO... apk

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, apk, we can see it's an impersonator because they're on-topic -- if it was the real you, you'd be posting in irrelevant threads, like this one.