Perseids Shower reports - August 11th/12th.

It wasn't until about 00:10hrs that the sky cleared somewhat down here (Daingean). I went outside, and until 00:28hrs, I spotted many meteors. I actually stopped counting after 13 (I was very tired), but I'd put the estimate in that time frame to be circa 22, 5 (definite) of which were sporadic. The best I saw were 2 that entered the tmosphere simultaneously at Deneb, and with virually identical brightness, path, and length, burned up spreading outwards from each other (about 0 magnitude, entered within 2 degrees of each other, travelling about 7 degrees towards Alberio).

Clouds rolled in again at 00:28hrs which is why I went back inside. But for that period, I wish I had more energy, and clear skies, to have stayed up longer.

Seanie.

We had patches of clearness and saw a 2 meteors tonight, 1 a bright sporadic,

After I got home the skies cleared here and on top of the 7 I saw in Daves house I caught another 10.
Of those 3 were sporadic.
I managed to catch a few with the camera.
The images are very grainy but I guess thats what you have to put up with
shooting from a suburban area plus the fact it was my first time trying to photograph meteors!
(it's a tough job)

www.frankryanjr.com/meteors.htm

17 meteors so in total tonight / this morning.
It was a nice site also to see Mars close to the Pleiadies at around 4am.
Not such a disaster of a night after all.

Dave,
Thanks for having me over & enjoy the holiday!

Hi all,

Went to the IAA event in Delamount, which was a great dark sky site, first time there. Had a great BBQ, then the observing began. Saw the bright ISS pass just after 22:00 and the sky was very clear until about 00:20, when we were completely clouded out and that was that. In terms of Perseids, saw lots of quick faint ones as well as some very bright ones leaving trails. We did an official count between 23:00 and 00:00 and most people observed 20-25 during that period, couldn't estimate a total number I saw over the whole night as I was not really counting apart from between 23:00 and 00:00. I wasn't counting as I was enjoying the show too much! Saw a lovely Iridium flare at about -5 at 00:12 just before it clouded over. A good night. The milkyway was lovely on Sunday night.

Neill

Deise Astronomy had arranged a bbq/star party for the Saturday night but we had to cancel it due to 100% cloud and lots of rain. Sunday dawned bright and clear and the weather held up untill midnight. Unfortunately, only a couple of DAS'ers could make it Sunday evening (too far to drive unless you were camping & that's not practical when you have to get up for work next day!).
Anyway, there were still 19 of us (17 of them my family!) in my parents garden, all out in deckchairs, sun loungers etc and we had a fantastic evening.
Saw the ISS go over twice (2nd time got clouded out though) and a few of the kids got to see it for a while thru' Eugene's 8" scope. Lots of meteors, a few sporadics and at least 4 or 5 which left trails lasting up to 10 seconds. Jupiter was a good sight and Eugene pointed out lots of interesting things during the evening.
We finished up around midnight as the clouds came in but it was a lovely evening (I never heard so many 'oohs' and 'ahhs' and a few meteors even got a round of applause!

Clear skies here in pennsylvania (30C-stifling). Managed to see one before the jet lag got me and I had to retire to bed.