So like what time or night do you think would be good to watch the perseids or leonids? I mean i know i don't really have to be at the exact time or place but where do you think the shower would be exceptional?
Hi Jennifer,
Sorry to say, as to where a shower would be exceptional, the answer is 'nowhere in Singapore'. However, you may find a nice dark spot such as a beach to observe and if the weather is clear, you may catch some meteors.
East Coast or Tanjong Beach in Sentosa are popular sites. If you can get a car to send you, Lim Chu Kang Lane 1a will be a good bet as well (if you dare).
Cheers,
Chris
Info from
http://www.theastronomer.org/forthcoming_meteors.html:
Perseids max Aug 12d20h UT
chart. Despite not producing peak rates as high as those of the Leonid outbursts and the Geminids, the Perseid meteor shower remains the favourite for most observers. This is because, in addition to being rich in bright and trained meteors, it also occurs during summer in the northern hemisphere as opposed to the cold nights of late autumn for the two aforementioned showers.
Perseid activity can be seen from the last week of July through to the third week of August. The Full Moon of Aug 9 will make observations difficult around Perseid maximum. However it is worth bearing in mind that the Perseids are rich in bright meteors and thus even with the moon present in the sky, if you observe with the moon outside your field of view, you are still likely to see higher observed rates than those seen for some other showers in moonless skies ! The highest observed rates on any given night are likely to be seen when the radiant is highest in the sky late in the night.
Leonids max Nov 17d 23hUT and Nov 19d 04:45UT
chart. After the unfavourable conditions of 2005, the moon will be less of a problem in 2006, with New Moon occurring on Nov 20. Of the two peaks listed above, the first is the "standard" Leonid peak for which the ZHR will probably be around 10-20. The second peak is for a predicted encounter with a 2-revolution dust trail which should produce a higher ZHR, although it is very unlikely to produce storm level activity. This predicted second peak is best timed for observers in western Europe and western Africa.
Leonid activity can be seen from Nov 14-20. The Leonid radiant doesn't rise until the late evening, and is highest late in the night.
only a few documented cases on record. A shower of stones fell upon Nakhla, near Alexandria, Egypt on June 28, 1911, one of which allegedly killed a dog. On November 30, 1954, Mrs. Hewlett Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama was severely bruised by an 8 pound stony meteorite that crashed through her roof. This is the first known human injury.
