The Lyrid meteor shower
- dave_lillis
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- Super Giant
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19 years 6 months ago #11446
by dave_lillis
Dave L. on facebook , See my images in flickr
Chairman. Shannonside Astronomy Club (Limerick)
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me,
but what a way to go.
+ 12"LX200, MK67, Meade2045, 4"refractor
Replied by dave_lillis on topic Re: The Lyrid meteor shower
Lads,
You're both putting in some great hours there, at least you were rewarded 2 nights ago with some good meteors.
You're both putting in some great hours there, at least you were rewarded 2 nights ago with some good meteors.
Dave L. on facebook , See my images in flickr
Chairman. Shannonside Astronomy Club (Limerick)
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me,
but what a way to go.
+ 12"LX200, MK67, Meade2045, 4"refractor
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- Conor
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19 years 6 months ago #11459
by Conor
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Replied by Conor on topic Re: The Lyrid meteor shower
Not last night but the night before when martin seen the metors i only did a small watch and seen nothing. We also went out last night and did a watch from 11:10pm as the sky was crystal clear unfortunately there was very little activity and no fireballs. We got a few pics of the night and a really lovely halo. funny enough we seen 1 metor each and this was on the road home. it was a very late night as i stepped in the back door at 4:30am the sky was very bright and the moon was near to setting. But all in all it was a great night! 
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- martinastro
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19 years 6 months ago #11501
by martinastro
Martin Mc Kenna
coruscations attending the whole length of the luminosity, giving to the phenomena the aspect of a wrathful messenger, and not that of a tranquil body pursuing a harmless course..comet of 1680
Replied by martinastro on topic Re: The Lyrid meteor shower
Post Lyrid Meteor Watch
As Conor mentioned in a previous post we decided to do another Lyrid meteor watch last night ( 23/24) from 00.00 - 04.40 UT in the hope of catching some meteors and with luck a fireball or aurora. I have read in my observing guide books that bright fireballs that leave persistant trains or even smoke trails where possible 2 - 3 days after maximum and since this would land on a weekend we decided to make the most of it. friday nights all night watch was completely clouded out with drizzle before dawn however in the evening we did get to see Jupiter approx 4* to the NW of the Moon which was a nice naked eye sight. We dont like to give up so we tried again on saturday night.
We put together some tea and snacks into our kit bags as well as my camera and tripod and walked over 1 mile from our home out to the county and after several field crossings we found our favourite observing location which was where we watched last years Persied and Eta Aquarid meteor showers from. It was a lovely calm peaceful night with a beautiful rising full moon in the east near Spica. On the way up along the lonley dark country road we witnessed a stunning multicoloured lunar haloe which appeared when a white lonely drifting cloud patch passed in front of the moon. The haloe was very bright, intense and colourful, the colour blue stood out with great contrast in a way i have never seen before, we stopped at a hedgerow to watch it.
During our many hours in the field ( and many cups of tea lol) we did not see a single meteor, the actvity seemed dead with the exception of the odd faint satellite and passing high altitude aeroplane which was both suprising and disappointing, the only action was from the nearby cows which took a great interest in our food. After 03.00UT we decided to head home, as we emerged out of the field into the country road i was lucky enough to see a bright white Lyrid high in the NE shoot towards the west at a steep angle. On the road down Conor and i seen a phenomena we have never witnessed before. The moon was sitting in a broken cloud bank and projecting down from it at an angle where numerous bright intense beams of light, these where similar to crespecular rays coming from the sun only these came from the moon and where a blue.green murky colour! they changed in intensity rapidly and moved like auroral curtains..a lovely sight. I took several images and hope to get them sent in soon. Near the end of the session when we arrived at my back garden Conor spotted another Lyrid in the form of a bright white south moving meteor which appeared at the zenith bringing our total to two Lyrids - we saw one each...LOL
By now it was pre - dawn with bright twilight in the east and the birds where waking up. I set up my camera and tripod as i wanted to image the ISS but i did not even know what time it was due or even if it was in the morning sky at all however i remmember our chair man John Mc Connell saying he saw it pass on the morning of the Lyrid maximum so i just hoped it was still visible. With extreme synchronicity my patience paid of because 10 mins later i spotted the blazing silver moving star appear in the SW. I ran to the camera, switched it on and took image after image as i tracked its passage to the NE. The ISS looked so bright and alien in the silent dawn. I succeded in getting a selection of images showing the space crafts trail as it passed near tree branches and then over my house as the station passsed close to and underneath the bright star Altair in the east. This was the highlight of the night for me, capturing the ISS with an ordinary digital camera in the pre - dawn sky without even knowing if or when it would appear. I went to bed feeling very satisfyed and content. It was a long time before i could sleep!
Even though the meteor actvity was poor we still had a great time out in nature under the spring starry night where yet another great memory has been captured to look back on. This is a great hobby!!!
All Best!
As Conor mentioned in a previous post we decided to do another Lyrid meteor watch last night ( 23/24) from 00.00 - 04.40 UT in the hope of catching some meteors and with luck a fireball or aurora. I have read in my observing guide books that bright fireballs that leave persistant trains or even smoke trails where possible 2 - 3 days after maximum and since this would land on a weekend we decided to make the most of it. friday nights all night watch was completely clouded out with drizzle before dawn however in the evening we did get to see Jupiter approx 4* to the NW of the Moon which was a nice naked eye sight. We dont like to give up so we tried again on saturday night.
We put together some tea and snacks into our kit bags as well as my camera and tripod and walked over 1 mile from our home out to the county and after several field crossings we found our favourite observing location which was where we watched last years Persied and Eta Aquarid meteor showers from. It was a lovely calm peaceful night with a beautiful rising full moon in the east near Spica. On the way up along the lonley dark country road we witnessed a stunning multicoloured lunar haloe which appeared when a white lonely drifting cloud patch passed in front of the moon. The haloe was very bright, intense and colourful, the colour blue stood out with great contrast in a way i have never seen before, we stopped at a hedgerow to watch it.
During our many hours in the field ( and many cups of tea lol) we did not see a single meteor, the actvity seemed dead with the exception of the odd faint satellite and passing high altitude aeroplane which was both suprising and disappointing, the only action was from the nearby cows which took a great interest in our food. After 03.00UT we decided to head home, as we emerged out of the field into the country road i was lucky enough to see a bright white Lyrid high in the NE shoot towards the west at a steep angle. On the road down Conor and i seen a phenomena we have never witnessed before. The moon was sitting in a broken cloud bank and projecting down from it at an angle where numerous bright intense beams of light, these where similar to crespecular rays coming from the sun only these came from the moon and where a blue.green murky colour! they changed in intensity rapidly and moved like auroral curtains..a lovely sight. I took several images and hope to get them sent in soon. Near the end of the session when we arrived at my back garden Conor spotted another Lyrid in the form of a bright white south moving meteor which appeared at the zenith bringing our total to two Lyrids - we saw one each...LOL
By now it was pre - dawn with bright twilight in the east and the birds where waking up. I set up my camera and tripod as i wanted to image the ISS but i did not even know what time it was due or even if it was in the morning sky at all however i remmember our chair man John Mc Connell saying he saw it pass on the morning of the Lyrid maximum so i just hoped it was still visible. With extreme synchronicity my patience paid of because 10 mins later i spotted the blazing silver moving star appear in the SW. I ran to the camera, switched it on and took image after image as i tracked its passage to the NE. The ISS looked so bright and alien in the silent dawn. I succeded in getting a selection of images showing the space crafts trail as it passed near tree branches and then over my house as the station passsed close to and underneath the bright star Altair in the east. This was the highlight of the night for me, capturing the ISS with an ordinary digital camera in the pre - dawn sky without even knowing if or when it would appear. I went to bed feeling very satisfyed and content. It was a long time before i could sleep!
Even though the meteor actvity was poor we still had a great time out in nature under the spring starry night where yet another great memory has been captured to look back on. This is a great hobby!!!
All Best!
Martin Mc Kenna
coruscations attending the whole length of the luminosity, giving to the phenomena the aspect of a wrathful messenger, and not that of a tranquil body pursuing a harmless course..comet of 1680
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