Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 2014

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rlow
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Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 2014

Post by rlow »

Witness the birth of a new meteor shower - and possibly a meteor storm on 23/24 May 2014

http://www.space.com/25768-new-meteor-s ... inear.html

http://earthsky.org/space/comet-209p-li ... m-may-2014
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

Post by Airconvent »

Thanks for the sharing rlow!
But its almost always cloudy in Singapore during showers especially! Hope no one bought any new scope in the next 2 weeks! :)
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

Post by Mariner »

Not to mention the radiant is in an area where we cannot see in Singapore but fingers crossed for good weather and (at least) part of the dazzling show.
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rlow
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

Post by rlow »

Although meteor shower originate from a radiant, they usually do not appear at the radiant itself. Viewing direction is usually about 45 degrees from the radiant. Meteors are best seen at a dark site without moonlight. This potential new meteor shower peaks after the last quarter moon and near a weekend, so it is quite ideal for observation.
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

Post by gchew »

The shower's maximum is predicted to happen during North America's early morning hours, so we might not see much in this part of the world. Nonetheless, I hope to catch at least something because I happen to be hiking in Malaysia that weekend.
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

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As you said it, it is a prediction...and there had been times when predictions didn't turn out accurate. For example, the meteor storm may be seen in a localised area but sometimes appears in a different time zone and location from what was predicted. Furthermore the peak of this potential meteor shower is also spread over two nights, so there is some chance that we would also see parts of it between 23 and 24 May 2014.

If you are hiking in M'sia, try to camp and observe from an open area not blocked by trees. Good luck!
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

Post by gchew »

rlow wrote:As you said it, it is a prediction...and there had been times when predictions didn't turn out accurate. For example, the meteor storm may be seen in a localised area but sometimes appears in a different time zone and location from what was predicted. Furthermore the peak of this potential meteor shower is also spread over two nights, so there is some chance that we would also see parts of it between 23 and 24 May 2014.

If you are hiking in M'sia, try to camp and observe from an open area not blocked by trees. Good luck!
Yup, I certainly hope the prediction is off so that it favours our time zone. :mryellow: I might do some long-exposure photography as well. I wish myself luck too!
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

Post by starfinder »

The shower's predicted radiant in Camelopadarlis would be just above the horizon at nearly due North for Singapore from 8pm to around midnight on Sat 24 May 2014. It would be moonless then as the Moon would only rise at around 4am.

However, the peak is forecast for 3-4pm earlier that afternoon, and from what I've read it's going to be quite a sharp peak.

Nevertheless, why not give it a try? Perhaps we may catch some of the outliers, or better still if the forecast is 5-6 hrs off in our favour. Since the radiant would be so low, I believe that any meteors seen would be long horizon-hugging grazers. Plus the meteors are predicted to be slow moving ones.

Best place in Singapore I think would be Changi Beach, in the vicinity of Carpark 1, as it has clear northern views to relatively darker skies.

Anyone interested for a meteor watch then at Changi Beach? Timing is good as it would be a Sat night. This could become a famous shower!
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

Post by rlow »

Not necessarily to be horizon-hugging meteors...they radiate, so meteors may also "shoot" towards zenith.

Meteors are always best observed from a site with a darker skies, eg. sedili. I would prefer to consider making a trip there if I really want some productive results. :)
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Re: Birth of new meteor shower or meteor storm on 23 May 201

Post by starfinder »

Thanks for the correction! Yes, not necessarily horizon-hugging, but more likely shoot upwards.

Let me quote from the May 2014 S&T mag article on this event:
"Much farther south, the radiant is low... When a shower's radiant is low in your sky, the infrequent meteors that you do see are earthgrazers, skimming into the top of the atmosphere at a low angle. This means they are unusually long-lasting and run far across the sky."

Now I recall seeing 1 or 2 such streaks during my Perseids watch at Telok Sari in Aug 2012, when the radiant was still low.
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