# Perseids - anyone gonna watch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 12, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479 "2002-08-12T03:57:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/1 "2002-08-12T03:57:06Z")
Tonight (Aug 12) and tomorrow night (Aug 13) are the peak for the Perseid meteor shower. I have been out the past couple nights and have seen quite a few earthgrazers - low colorful meteors that appear to graze the Earth. Here’s a [map of the sky](http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/perseids.html) showing the area to view. I have also been seeing a lot of orbiting satellites in the last few nights - wow, I never knew there were so many visible! Last night/morning I was cold laying outdoors, but tonight is warmer. I’m getting ready right now to go spend a few hours watching, although the best time to watch is right before dawn. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/2 "2002-08-12T04:02:46Z")
I’m going to try and watch some but Phoenix has bad light pollution so I’ll be suprised if I get any good results. ---
**Author:** ![Spooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Spooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spooky)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/3 "2002-08-12T04:40:09Z")
I’ve been watching the meteor showers for the past two nights. The skies are very dark where I live, and it’s just spectacular. I think I’ll head on out to the patio right now. ---
**Author:** ![NightRabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@NightRabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightRabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/4 "2002-08-12T04:45:34Z")
Of course! Tomorrow a bunch of friends and I are heading out to her lake house to have a Perseid Party. Last night, as I was outside on the deck by myself, I heard a lawnchair scrape against the deck. I shined my flashlight at the sound and saw an unidentifiable animal run off into the woods. Eeeek! That was just about when I decided to call it a night… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/5 "2002-08-12T06:08:52Z")
I’m going to look for them tomorrow night. Only trouble is, I don’t know of a good place around Boston to watch from. I’ve been checking the web to see if I can find a local astronomers club to see if they have a favorite spot. All the ones I’ve found are associated with local colleges and they’re taking the summer off. Odd thing is, **NightRabbit** , the closest I was able to find was in Amherst. Apparently they go to Mt. Pollux, so I’m thinking of a late-night toad trip. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/6 "2002-08-12T07:10:48Z")
Well, I’m all ticked off now. We are totally clouded over here. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow. I’m glad I had the chance to see some Perseids in the past few days. ---
**Author:** ![Spooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Spooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spooky)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/7 "2002-08-12T07:35:41Z")
**Boscibo** , where do you live? I came inside because the wind starting kicking up and I was wearing just a cotton nightie. The frequency of meteors is picking up, so I think that I will go out again a little later. It’s a beautifully clear night, and the only sound I have heard is the howling and yipping of the coyotes. G’nite! ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/8 "2002-08-12T11:55:23Z")
The boy and I are going to try and get up at 4 am tomorrow morning and head north to escape the light pollution from the Lansing area. This will be my first meteor shower, so I’m stoked! ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/9 "2002-08-12T12:26:02Z")
Weather for the London area is due to be cloudy all evening - not that you’d see anything anyway, what with the light pollution… I hate big cities :mad: Grim ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/10 "2002-08-12T12:43:23Z")
Gonna try, but it’s kind of cloudy tonight, so the chances are iffy. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/11 "2002-08-12T13:30:57Z")
My son and I will. We saw them for the first time last November when we got up at 5 a.m. and went out to watch! ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/12 "2002-08-12T14:15:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*My son and I will. > We saw them for the first time last November when we got up at 5 a.m. and went out to watch! \*\* Well, that would be the Leonids… This is a different shower – don’t expect anything as spectacular. The Perseids usually only produce 1 or 2 meteorites/minute. I was out for a while last night and did see one rather spectacular fireball that glowed green and left quite a trail. Most Perseids aren’t that gaudy. Robot Arm – check out this thread in dejanews: [http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=19980307181400.NAA08191%40ladder02.news.aol.com&rnum=15&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dastronomy%2Browley%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D19980307181400.NAA08191%40ladder02.news.aol.com%26rnum%3D15](http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=19980307181400.NAA08191%40ladder02.news.aol.com&rnum=15&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dastronomy%2Browley%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D19980307181400.NAA08191%2540ladder02.news.aol.com%26rnum%3D15) Apparently Rowley, MA has an area near Plum Island that’s used by local amateur astronomers. They give a web link. (I live near there, but I pretty much just use my light polluted backyard.) Finally, how can anyone call themselves “Night Rabbit” and be scared off by a nocturnal animal? ---
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/13 "2002-08-12T14:51:58Z")
I’d arrived home late but it was a spectacular evening in Seattle, with good visibility. As we were leaving downtown the yellow crescent moon was sinking below the Olympic Peninsula, looking like an illuminated sculpture. It’s necessary to get a night without low clouds because a nearby Boeing facility is so well lit that low clouds will reflect all of the light. In the first 10 minutes I had 2 quick white flashes – high small objects. Then one that covered about a third of the visible sky – yellow and lower in the atmosphere. Then I vowed not to refill the beer mug until the next one: and they stopped. > [@](#): > > I have also been seeing a lot of orbiting satellites in the last few nights - wow, I never knew there were so many visible! Living along the Equator, you can see dozens in equatorial orbits. In Swahili the term for them is ‘nyota wa kutembea’ or ‘stars that walk.’ ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/14 "2002-08-12T16:29:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spooky \* > \*\ ***Boscibo** , where do you live? > > \*\* I live a little east of Mpls./ St. Paul in Wisconsin. It clouded over and then we got some very violent thunderstorms - lots of thunder and lightning, and it poured. Last Nov. during the Leonids I had some clouds, and I could see a few meteors through the clouds and in the occasional clear spots, but last night was too thick. So here’s to tonight/tomorrow AM! I hope everyone has some luck! ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/15 "2002-08-12T19:42:48Z")
I’m going sailing on Lake Superior this weekend, will I still be able to see some then? The light pollution from the twin cities prevents me from seeing them (I was able to watch the Mall of America fireworks last night, though) ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/16 "2002-08-12T19:47:29Z")
Heh… I saw them last night. There’s a secret location on the beach where nobody ever goes. There’s a very eerie American flag out there that somebody is dumb enough to fly at night without a spotlight. It added to the mood. We almost got run over by a pickup truck who was apparently four-wheeling on the sand. It was rather spectacular. Maybe I should go out and see them again tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/17 "2002-08-12T20:39:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Turpentine \* > I saw them last night. There’s a secret location on the beach where nobody ever goes. Any chance of you sharing that secret? ---
**Author:** ![Kaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Kaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/18 "2002-08-13T02:34:13Z")
I live in the LA area and am debating whether to head over to Griffith Observatory, it’s closed but still a good view, or drive out to Vasquez Rocks to watch them tonight. Anyone know any other good places in the LA area? ---
**Author:** ![brandiwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@brandiwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brandiwine)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/19 "2002-08-13T04:44:28Z")
Every year mon ami. Though after watching the Leonoids last year in November, I think I’ll be disappointed with the Persieds. Im sure most of you know if this place, but in the event that you don’t [http://www.spaceweather.com](http://www.spaceweather.com) usually has great photo galleries of the sky happenings, submitted by readers & professionals alike. So if youre in a great viewing area - take a few shots & send them in. And \*\* Kaf \*\*… Do you know where the top of Stunt Road is? Thats an AMAZING fucking place to see anything sky related, or even to watch storms. You can see Catalina off to the west side, while looking eastward into the Northern most part of the Valley. There used to be some old Naval Observatory Tower, built into the mountain or something. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479/20 "2002-08-13T05:36:25Z")
If the clouds clear, I’ll check it out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseids-anyone-gonna-watch/123479.md?page=2)