Ah, meteor showers! Just like with trickle-down economics, most of us are not even damp.
Oh no not at all! Either that or you’re not doing it right. Or maybe you don’t enjoy meteor showers, at least not enough to overcome the mild inconvenience and discomfort to go out and see them.
Every 33 years or so, due to its orbital inclination, the earth passes through the densest part of the Perseids, or Orionids, or Leonids. When that happens and when it coincides with or near to a new moon, go out after midnight to a place with a clear (no trees, clouds) and dark sky. It is better after midnight, when your part of the earth faces forward in the earth’s orbital direction (akin to a car’s front window hitting the bugs - before midnight it’s akin to looking out the rear window, no bugs on that window).
It can truly be a fantastic show! Years ago when I did this I saw several a minute. Some were brief streaks while others were significant, lng and large streams. That was fantastic!
I can’t believe no one has asked yet, but what’s the rest of the story! I hope you survived!
I had wanted to get out of the city to see the meteor shower, but ended up lying in the front yard from midnight- 3 am. Saw 11 good meteors, and 4 faint ones, saw an owl sit on my mailbox for several minutes, and had a nice chat with my son who was looking at meteors in California.
My personal best was seeing the Leonid meteor storm in 1999-it was cloudy in Dallas so I drove east until I got out of the clouds. I ended up in a state park outside of Jackson, Mississippi. From 1 am until the sun rose- I saw a meteor every 2-3 seconds! Some were fireballs that left vapor trails across the sky.
Yes, TriPolar, please tell us!
From your description I think this is the big one I saw, too. It was a fantastic light show!
[Tripolar, channeling Baron Munchausen] …and that was just one of the many ways in which I met my death!
Uploaded my movie.
Play it full-screen for best effect.
