# Shooting Stars



## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 14, 2004)

This morning on my way to work I saw four shooting stars. The Geminid meteor shower was very active last night. What a wonderful reminder of the beauty of God's creation. 

Psalms 148
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. 

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/12/13/sky.watch/index.html


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## Me Died Blue (Dec 14, 2004)

I saw one of the meteors, out in a field in Arkansas near the Tennessee border last night with some friends, and it was neat.


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## Ianterrell (Dec 14, 2004)

New Yorkers are too civilized to watch the heavens. Quick way to lose a wallet too.

[Edited on 14-12-2004 by Ianterrell]


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Ianterrell_
> New Yorkers are too civilized to watch the heavens. Quick way to lose a wallet too.
> 
> [Edited on 14-12-2004 by Ianterrell]



I thought it was because of smog and light pollution! Seeing the stars at night is one of the things I love most about living in the countryside.


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## ChristianasJourney (Dec 14, 2004)

I had a dream about shooting stars last night, does that count? 

I couple of years ago I stayed up late and I saw a shooting star everyt 2-5 minutes, it was amazing! And I live in a metro area, too. Imagine how many I'd have seen if I'd been in the country.


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## JohnV (Dec 14, 2004)

I think myself very fortunate that I have a night job, driving around at night. I get to see a lot of things. Watching Venus come up was my favourite. But lately there have been clouds almost every night. I don't even know anymore what phase the moon is in, even though I look for it every night. 

One year I saw the Northern lights, two comets, Mars, and an eclipse; all in one year, or thereabouts. I really want a telescope for Christmas. I've been really, really good, but I don't think that I can get anywhere near $500 worth of good. If we go by that I'll likely get a magnifying glass from the dollar store. 

Sorry I missed the meteor shower. I knew it was there, but did not have the clear skies to see it.

[Edited on 14-12-2004 by JohnV]


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## Ianterrell (Dec 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Ianterrell_
> ...



Ok you got me. We don't watch the heavens because we can't see em.


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## inspector (Dec 14, 2004)

I saw 2 this morning, about 60 seconds apart. It was neat.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 29, 2006)




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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 16, 2006)

Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Expected This Weekend 

by Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
SPACE.com 
Nov 14, 2006

The annual Leonid meteor shower could produce a strong outburst this weekend for residents of the North America and Western Europe. 

A brief surge of activity is expected begin around 11:45 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 18. In Europe, that corresponds to early Sunday morning, Nov. 19 at 4:45 GMT. The outburst could last up to two hours.

At the peak, people in these favorable locations could see up to 150 shooting stars per hour, or more than two per minute.

"We expect an outburst of more than 100 Leonids per hour," said Bill Cooke, the head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Cooke notes that the shooting stars during this peak period are likely to be faint, however, created by very small meteoroid grains.

Elsewhere people will see the typically enjoyable Leonid display of a few meteors each hour, weather permitting and assuming dark skies away from city lights [Top 10 Leonids Facts].

Ancient debris

The Leonids are bits of debris left behind by repeated passages through the inner solar system of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Each November, Earth crosses various trails of debris, which have spread out over centuries and millennia. Dense debris trails have caused incredible meteor storms in years, past, notably 1998 through 2002 [Images from 2001: Gallery 1, 2, 3, 4].

Since then the show has been back to normal. But recent computer modeling suggests a brief outburst.

"For parts of Europe, Africa and eastern North America, a far more prolific Leonid show could be in the offing this year," said Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist.

This year is not expected to be as memorable as some but well worth a look, astronomers say. The Leonids are known for producing bright fire*****, which could occur at any time. 

The Leonids are so-named because they appear to emanate from Leo. The meteors can race across the sky in any direction, but trace each one back and it'll point to Leo.

Other opportunities

Unfortunately for viewer's on the U.S. West Coast, the peak occurs before Leo rises. Outside of the expected peak, the best time to watch for Leonids is in the pre-dawn hours, when the constellation Leo is high in the sky. 

The Leonids are actually underway already, ramping up gradually to the peak. The event continues for several days after the peak. So any morning during this time could offer up a handful of meteors each hour. Other shooting stars from other sources typically grace the sky at low rates, too. 

Flurries of enhanced activity can come at any time. Cooke suggests taking a look in the pre-dawn hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Up to 10 shooting stars per hour are possible any of these mornings.

How to watch

Precise prediction of meteor showers is an infant science, so those in position to observe the possible outburst should plan to head out a half-hour before the predicted peak, allowing eyes time to adjust to the dark, and stay out for up to a half hour after the expected peak.

No special equipment is needed. Telescopes and binoculars are of no use. 

A lounge chair or blanket and warm clothes are all you need [meteor watching tips]. Find a dark location with a clear view of the Eastern horizon. Lie back, face East, and scan as much of the sky as you can . You never know exactly where a Leonid will appear.


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## Average Joey (Nov 16, 2006)

Darn it!I missed it!

Maybe tonight.Since I am off from work.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 16, 2006)

Average Joey said:


> Darn it!I missed it!
> 
> Maybe tonight.Since I am off from work.



It's this weekend.


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## BJClark (Nov 16, 2006)

VirginiaHuguenot;



> It's this weekend.



How very very cool, my son was just commenting to me the other day about how he would like to see some shooting stars...

Maybe I can talk to my husband suggest going out to the lake where there are minimal lights and watch them...


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 16, 2006)

BJClark said:


> VirginiaHuguenot;
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I hope the weather is good -- it's a great thing to enjoy the beauty of God's creation in the night sky.


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## JohnV (Nov 16, 2006)

Actually I've been watching them for a while, when its not cloudy or rainy out. If this weekend is a peak, then it ought to be quite something.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 20, 2006)

I missed seeing them on Saturday night due to the weather but this morning they were spectacular!


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