2012 Leonid Meteor Shower.

[bloodhound31]

Hey guys and gals, I just typed this up to help with viewing and photographing the Leonids this week.

ASIGN Observatory Celestial Events - Leonids (http://www.asignobservatoryii.com/celestialevents.htm)

Cheers,

Baz.

[Lester]

Good stuff Baz. Hope to have a try for some Leonids, if work and skies co-operate. All the best.

[Suzy]

Great article there Baz, thank you!
I'm going to give it a share around on facebook today and also here on the forum where someone was just asking about it.

[bloodhound31]

Always a pleasure gang! Just sharin' the love! ;)

Baz.

[axle01]

Hey Baz is there any "best place to view the shower" like the eclipse in Cairns or if i look up into the night sky should i see it,,,,i am in Townsville.

Alan

[bloodhound31]

Pretty much anywhere in the world where you can see the constellation Leo while it's still dark mate.

[axle01]

Hey thanks mate now i just gotta get up at 3am :zzz:

[Sir]

Obviously a pre-requisite for seeing the Leonids is a low NW horizon - does anyone know of a decent place within or not far from Brisbane for observing? I'm in the suburbs and I can see only about 30% of the sky from my yard. :(

Cheers

[bloodhound31]

North east....

Not familiar with Brisvegas. Anyone else up there offer advice?

[Shark Bait]

Hope this helps him out bloodhound:

At 3:30am Leo will be approx 25 degrees above the North-East horizon.

Just find a place that is close to you and is as dark as possible and cross your fingers.

Sir, if you provide more detail in your info bar it will help to give locations that may be suitable. Basic Lat and Long or even which part of Brisbane you are from would be useful.

Stu.

[Wazmitch]

Thanks for the heads up Baz.
I might have to get the camera out and see what i can find :)

[Sir]

Oops yes NW. :thanx: I'm in Chermside, although a few nights ago I was at Trinity beach with an unobstructed view over the ocean to Leo rising... too bad not there anymore.

EDIT: Sigh, NE. I always seem to get them mixed up...

Cheers

[Shark Bait]

If you don't want to travel too far and are willing to deal with the local light pollution then there is that very large park just north of Westfield Chermside. Just need to keep an eye out for random groups of aimless youth.

I'd look for darker locations myself. If the weather is clear, areas near Samford or Clear Mountain might be worth a try. Not too far if you don't mind a short drive.

[Sir]

Samford valley is a good idea, although I'd probably have to go scout it out during the day sometime. The park just north of Chermside shopping centre would be great but yeah aimless youths on a Friday/Saturday night is a possibility.

Thanks shark bait!

Cheers

[Kunama]

Nothing but CLOUDS in Leo this morning, maybe tomorrow ?

[bloodhound31]

Yeah, same here. I'll be trying again tomorrow morning.

[erick]

Clouded out at 3 and 3:30am in Atherton - back to bed. Woke to clear skies and sunshine at 6am. :sadeyes:

[Astroman]

I will be out tomorrow morning, actually most of the night tonight :) Going to set the camera up and see if I get anything.. I know we are only about 1/3 the time into the showers 33yr peaks but its still great to go out and see them... sometimes you get lucky and get some good ones! I love the ones that leave the ionised trail for minutes.....

Here is an image from one of the years... looking at the southern cross... I missed the actual meteor but the train it left stuck around for about 5 minutes after before being blown away....

http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo73/AstromanSID/Astronomy/leonids2-202.jpg

[Shark Bait]

Woke up to have a look but the sky was thick with cloud. Hope someone had clear skies.

[bloodhound31]

That's a stunning find there Andrew.

[axle01]

Well, set the clock for 2am got up and it was raining and still totally overcast, major bummer.

[Astroman]

I was out all lastnight, saw about 4 Leonids and a heap of Satellites, and quite a few sporadic meteors also. I was using a 50mm f1.8 lens on my canon 400D so quite a tight crop... Here is a small timelapse video. watch for the little flasher :D

http://youtu.be/W0Qw9bqeIa0?hd=1

[noxidc]

wasnt there a second peak this morning? 20th

"The Leonids is one of the better meteor showers to observe, producing an average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower itself has a cyclic peak year every 33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour. The last of these occurred in 2001. The shower usually peaks on November 17, but you may see some meteors from November 13 - 20. This year there may actually be two separate peaks, one on Saturday morning the 17th, and another on Tuesday morning the 20th. Some predictions estimate that the November 20 peak may actually be better than the 17th. The crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent show. Look for the shower radiating from the constellation Leo after midnight, and be sure to find a dark location for viewing."