Meteor shower on 28 & 29 July

[elnie]

Hi all,

There's supposed to be meteor showers tonight and tomorrow night (28 and 29 July), Southern Delta Aquarids, with radiant being Aquarius.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Weather permitting, we should be able to see aquarius tonight at about 1050pm onwards facing East? I'd really like to watch it, so if anyone knows I'm obviously wrong, please tell me which direction and what time, so I can look out for it.

Meanwhile, where is a good spot around Ang Mo Kio to see it? I'm blocked by a tall condo facing East, so there's no chance of seeing it from home. Is anyone watching for it tonight?

Thanks.

Elnie [smilie=happy.gif]

[starfinder]

Hi Elnie,

I had posted in another thread briefly about this meteor shower, as follows:

...the minor meteor shower, the Southern Delta Aquariids. Apparently, it has a broad peak period centering on 29/30 July of about 15-20 meteors per hour (ZHR). However, these meteors would be slightly fainter than average (around mag 3).

Radiant is in Aquarius, not far from the bright first magnitude star Fomalhaut (alpha Piscis Austrinis).

Those in the tropical latitudes (i.e. incl. Johor and Singapore) and mid-southern latitudes are best placed to view this shower.

Best time is near 3am, local time. Face *eastwards* and look up.

More info here:
http://www.amsmeteors.org/2011/07/obser ... r-in-2011/

http://www.earthsky.org/astronomy-essen ... ower-guide

http://www.meteorshowersonline.com/show ... arids.html

http://www.imo.net/calendar/2011#sda



However, I doubt you would be able to see the meteors from Singapore, esp from central Singapore. I have tried a few times to view a meteor shower from central Singapore with almost no success. Others may share their own experiences and I would like to know.

Furthermore, the meteors of this shower are fainter than average.

Nevertheless, if you wish to give it a try, you may wish to know that:
- the radiant point (near Delta Aquarii) rises around 9.30pm Singapore time in the due East direction. It means that from 11pm onwards you could try. It would be better after midnight (since you would be then in a part of the Earth that is facing into the "wind" of the meteor streams as the Earth moves in its orbit around the Sun).

- the meteors would fly not at the radiant point, but in surrounding regions from 10 up to around 90 degrees (1/4 sky) away, and would seem to be pointing away from the radiant point. In other words, in the sky surrounding the East.

- for this meteor shower, Southern Delta Aquariids, the books say that it has a broad peak, and so you need not confine yourself to the night of 29th or 30th July, but a few days before or after these dates as well.


Good luck! (I've had none viewing meteor showers from central Singapore.)

Good luck! (I've had none viewing meteor showers from central Singapore.)

[elnie]

Hello Starfinder,

Thanks for your resources!
Actually, some 1-2 weeks back, I was looking southwest trying to visually connect the dots for Lupus, and I thought I saw meteor showers. From the balcony of my 3rd floor room in Yio Chu Kang/ Ang Mo Kio area.

I wasn't sure if it was my eyes playing tricks on me, as I remember seeing the calendar of events on Science Center's website stating only 2 dates to spot meteor showers in July.

But after reading a bit more, I realize it's a broad spectrum spanning weeks before and after 28 and 29 July. So while this reinforces my suspicion that I did see it, is it possible that I'm seeing it near Lupus? From your post " the meteors would fly not at the radiant point, but in surrounding regions from 10 up to around 90 degrees (1/4 sky) away, and would seem to be pointing away from the radiant point. In other words, in the sky surrounding the East." it doesn't seem to be consistent with the direction I was looking, which was Southwest. So I'm just really curious if what I saw was really a meteor shower, or if I was too engrossed and imagining it. heheheh

Besides all information points to Aquarius as the radiant and how it'll all be around the east face.

BTW, I was out on my lawn with my dog last night (putting up with the stench of her poo that's yet to be picked up) until a little past midnight. But Aquarius was still too low in the horizon for me to see (blocked by condo blocks nearby). It was disappointing. (Also, I'm really tempted to wipe out the lamp post nearby.)

I was trying to identify the constellations right above (maybe 85%). Still can't quite identify what it is. It's sort of like capricorn but i'm not too sure. Weather permitting I will look up again tonight.

Do you have an astro group you go out with to see stars once in a while? If so, where do you normally go?

Thanks again for your tip!
Elnie

[starfinder]

Hi Elnie,

Meteors occur every night throughout the year. On average, if you are at a dark sky rural site and spend the whole night looking up, and its not cloudy, *and* if you are lucky enough to be looking at the right place when the meteor flies by, then you could see around 2-8 meteors per night or more.

These random meteors are known as sporadics, i.e. they are not part of a particular meteor shower and therefore could be streaking about in any part of the sky. So you could well have seen a sporadic meteor near Lupus. I have seen a few bright sporadic meteors in central Spore before.

A meteor 'shower' refers to a surge in meteors that occurs at fixed times in a year, and these meteors are the debris left behind long ago by a comet. The Earth then crosses into the path of the debris. Even so, you would usually only see 10+ meteors per hour at a dark sky site, so 'shower' is a bit of an overstated term.

Do read other posts on this forum about observation gatherings in Singapore as well as the trips we make to Johor.

Quite a number are going up country to Johor this weekend, to Mersing district, Sedili or Kahang (me), to get away from the urban glare of Singapore. Its best to be in a dark sky site to see the full splendour of the stars and the Milky Way, even if only with naked eyes or a small 40mm size binoculars. The difference is like listening to a symphony played by an orchestra whilst in the concert hall, vs listening to the same thing on AM radio with one earpiece. The only exception is viewing the Moon, the bright planets, and individual bright stars, which are largely unaffected by urban glare.

But do note that much depends on the weather (cloud cover).

[cloud_cover]

But do note that much depends on the weather (cloud cover).

Someone called me?

[Timothy]

Hi all,

There's supposed to be meteor showers tonight and tomorrow night (28 and 29 July), Southern Delta Aquarids, with radiant being Aquarius.

Elnie

Sorry. I'm a novice. Can i see the meteor showers in US.