# Yeah, astronomers, that meteor shower was REAL exciting . . .can I go back to bed? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 18, 2001, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055 "2001-11-18T10:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/21 "2001-11-18T18:44:50Z")
Sorry, **Creaky**. It was a _great_ show. I was watching from Fair Hill, up in Cecil County, and I saw well in excess of 600, probably over a thousand. Best show 'since the '66 Leonids (and I doubt _that_ show will be matched in _many_ lifetimes!). On the other hand, I guess I’m Triffid-bait. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/22 "2001-11-18T21:07:43Z")
At about 2:00am, I glanced out the window, saw that my neighborhood in the Chicago suburbs was enshrouded in a Purgatory-like layer of fog and said the hell with it. Maybe next time. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/23 "2001-11-18T21:13:30Z")
Aw, rats! I thought it was gonna be good. It does figure that the one night I get a good sleep… Oh, well, I’ll just wait around til the next Leonids Meteor thingie. You _do_ know that in exchange for helping the Triffids I get rewarded with Eternal Youth… (Actually, I had no idea what the heck the “Triffids” reference was until I read through this thread… so see, I couldn’t _possibly_ be in cahoots with them!) ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/24 "2001-11-18T21:20:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Creaky \* > \*\*(Actually, I had no idea what the heck the “Triffids” reference was until I read through this thread… so see, I couldn’t _possibly_ be in cahoots with them!) \*\* Suuuuure. That what you _want_ us to belive…pro-triffid quisling! Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/25 "2001-11-18T21:43:27Z")
Great show here in the Pacific Northwest. A little before 1am, my wife and I left Seattle and drove up toward Snoqualmie Pass, to gain some altitude and get away from the city lights. We pulled off at some exit, found a country road with cars lined up on both sides, spread our ground cover and sleeping bags, and laid there for an hour. In that time, between 2am and 3am, we saw anything from two to ten per minute, ranging from tiny little flickers to huge streaks. There were even a few short but intensely bright “pop” meteors that, I’m guessing, hit the atmosphere at an angle more perpendicular than oblique and thus burned faster and more violently. Best of all were the two that I’m pretty sure calved: wow. I didn’t keep an accurate count, but I’m guessing we saw something between 150 and 200 overall. It was utterly spectacular and awe-inspiring, and I’m genuinely sorry for those of you who couldn’t enjoy it because of whatever weather-related or atmospheric difficulties (which includes underestimating the strength of your surrounding light pollution) were affecting your area. P.S. Don’t worry about the triffids; they’re fictional. Me, I’m worried about the night of the lepus. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/26 "2001-11-18T21:47:03Z")
Y’know, I had a long, detailed post all ready to go, but after previewing decided not to post it. I just don’t have it in me to rake others over the coals here in the pit. My motto on the 'net is to unfailingly polite under all circumstances, and I won’t break that, even here in the pit. I will note that in at least two posts in this thread, all astronomers are lumped together, typically with a bad word or two. Since I am an astronomer, by profession and by hobby, then I am in the group being attacked, and I take these attacks personally. Everyone here is welcome to do a web search on my username here and find a place where I deserve to be attacked in such a manner. The only time I have ever lost my cool on SDMB was when a twinkie kept hammering his logical fallacies in a Moon Hoax thread, and I became exasperated, and I am still embarrassed I let him get my goat. So instead, folks, let me say this: The astronomers who went on TV, radio, and in the newspapers to talk about this shower (as I did) did this because we wanted the public to go out and watch what could be (and was) a spectacular event. Everyone on this board has web access by definition, and I am sure is savvy enough to figure out how to find more detailed information on the Leonids before making plans to get up at 2 or 3 in the morning. I am truly and honestly sorry that some people didn’t see much, because where I was it was quite a show. My daughter saw her first meteors ever in her young life. We had a wonderful time: bonding, giggling and snuggling under a blanket at 2:30 in the morning, and that’s the memory I’ll carry with me forever of the Leonids of 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/27 "2001-11-18T22:13:07Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Fenris \* \*\* > [@](#): > > Suuuuure. That what you _want_ us to belive…pro-triffid quisling! \*\* Well, uh. That is, er… Well, doggone it, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it, as you Triffid Fodder… I mean, _people_… say! ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/28 "2001-11-18T22:45:09Z")
Clouds and thunderstorms all night here in Brisbane. I’m bummed ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/29 "2001-11-18T23:25:52Z")
I was ready! I live in one of the driest, sunniest places on this freaking earth, what could be better. Up at 4:00 AM, coffee on, lawn chair standing by. Open the door to let the dogs out and…WTF? It’s overcast, in a place that has over three hundred and twenty days of sunshine a year, it’s cloudy. No stars, no meteors, no nothing and I’m wide awake. Crap, crap, crap. And since I’m and old fart, it probably won’t happen again in my lifetime. With my luck it’ll happen, but I’ll be to damn senile to enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/30 "2001-11-19T00:15:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Bad Astronomer \* > \*\*I will note that in at least two posts in this thread, all astronomers are lumped together, typically with a bad word or two. \*\* You know, you’re right. I take back my comments directed towards the astronomers and instead send them towards the people really at fault for last nights fiasco-- the meteorologists. Fucking meterologists… what are the good for? ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/31 "2001-11-19T00:36:55Z")
We had a pretty good show, after a whole day of pleading with the cloud cover to go away, go away! It cleared right up and we had a great hour of meteor-watching. Then it was cloudy again when we woke up. I’m glad we got to see it. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/32 "2001-11-19T13:10:52Z")
Ded burnit, Doc! Stole mine too. _The stars that night were big and bright_ ::clap clap clap clap:: _deep in the south of Texas._ From 3:15 to 5:00, we had about 2 or 3 a minute, maxing out at maybe 8 or 9 around 4:00. But as was the case when I saw them a decade back, what was amazing was the smoke trails the big ones would leave. Also a big surprise was the diversity in orientation. Probably 50% came from the east but a fair number came from the opposite direction or were perpendicular to that. Overall, yeah, t’was well worth the hour. I now feel much closer to the neighborhood cats and hoot owl. ---
**Author:** ![Venoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Venoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venoma)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/33 "2001-11-19T13:22:13Z")
NB, Canada here. We were supposed to hit peak time around 6:00 AM. So I get up at 5:30 AM. Night before was crystal clear and gorgeous. Wake up. All I could see was Jupiter. Haze. _SIGH_ This happened to me with the Perseids this year as well. All you lucky folks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/34 "2001-11-19T14:11:46Z")
I’d actually never seen one before. My and my son got up at 5 a.m. est and went outside. We thought we’d see some neighbors, no. It was dead. Nice. Loved the show. Not 2 minutes went by without one, or two. We only stayed out about 10 minutes. It was well worth the lack of sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/35 "2001-11-19T15:32:28Z")
**BA** , as far as I can tell, the OP and my post were the only ones pervious to your post that were negative. . . You do know that I _am_ an astronomer, right? And you did notice that I wasn’t slamming all astronomers, right? I was critcising (or, uh, I guess, actually threatening with summary execution) _anyone_–astronomer, news anchor, whoever–who gets people all revved up about the next greatest meteor shower. I said that people who have been given unreasonable expectations _perceive_ astronomers to be stupid, not that astronomers _are_ stupid. This years Leonids are one of the exceptions to the rule, where the shower actually lived up to the hype. Otherwise, this thread could just have easily have been filled with peole saying, “Consarnit, I dragged my kids out of bed at four in the morning and we saw _squat_! Damn those astronomers for getting our hopes up!” I don’t know what you were out there saying about the shower, but I imagine that you were fair about telling folks that the quality of any given shower is highly unpredictable. However, though you criticize posts in this thread for lumping astronomers together, what do you hear on the news? “Astronomers predict the greatest meteor shower of the century!” Which astronomers? Where? Based on what? With what caveats? Of course they don’t go into that depth during the weather segment of the evening news. Of course, you are quite correct in pointing out that the Teeming Millions _should_ be bright enough to seek out enough information to make an educated decision about whether to get up, and indeed, the very article that **Vinne** links to says: ``The predictions are all over the place.’’ ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/36 "2001-11-19T15:41:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > I take back my comments directed towards the astronomers and instead send them towards the people really at fault for last nights fiasco-- the meteorologists. > > Fucking meterologists… what are the good for? I’ve really got to agree here. I knew kinda what to expect and the weatherman said, clear good skies to watch tonight. I get up at 4, walk the dog, look up to clear skies. This is gonna rock I think I can see good even with all the light. Go back in get the SO and take off. at 4:05 the entire damn sky is just over cast and getting worse. Ugh I can’t fucking believe it. I would have gotten up on Firday night had they not said there would be no cover. I think I saw one, but that might have just been a scratch on my glasses. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/37 "2001-11-19T18:49:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Podkayne \* > **BA** , as far as I can tell, the OP and my post were the only ones pervious to your post that were negative. . . CnoteChris’s was negative as well, but I suppose about NASA TV, and not just astronomers. That was the post to which I was referring, not yours. I’m not thrilled with NASA TV either, for that matter, but that’s another thread… > [@](#): > > You do know that I _am_ an astronomer, right? Sure! I reread my post and can see where it does sound like I was lumping you in with the other posters. Irony! My apologies. > [@](#): > > However, though you criticize posts in this thread for lumping astronomers together, what do you hear on the news? “Astronomers predict the greatest meteor shower of the century!” Which astronomers? Where? Based on what? With what caveats? Well, just because local newspeople do it doesn’t mean we should here. The motto of the SDMB is to fight ignorance, of course. I think I actually hold the SDMB up to a higher standard than the news! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/38 "2001-11-19T19:30:03Z")
\*Originally posted by vanilla \* > [@](#): > > We only stayed out about 10 minutes. > It was well worth the lack of sleep. :😁: ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/39 "2001-11-19T19:57:22Z")
Whew. I didn’t want to piss off Phil Plait. He bad. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055/40 "2001-11-19T20:07:10Z")
We and some friends drove up to about 5,000 feet (halfway up Mt Lemmon) and watched from 2am to 4am (AZ time) and it was amazing. Sometimes I felt like I would get whiplash just trying to catch them all. I saw lots of simultaneous streaks, and several that were just on the heels of others. I have no idea how many we saw, but it was hundreds. There was one that left a streak in the sky that lasted at least 3 minutes. It was so beautiful! I can always catch up on my sleep. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-astronomers-that-meteor-shower-was-real-exciting-can-i-go-back-to-bed/94055.md?page=3)