Quote:
Originally Posted by nsfx
I did some research and found that it's better to be watching at a dark place. I was wondering if it will be better if i just watch it from my house balcony? i stay in the heart of Melbourne City on the 35th floor and i can pretty much see everything (unobstructed views of the skies). Balcony faces east.
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I think being higher could actually worsen views if city/street glare is directly in your eyes - I guess it might also be better than seeing no sky at all if you're walled in on the ground. Currently in the suburbs of Brisbane, I tend to find areas with trees (that block cars/lamps) rather than lookouts.
For what it's worth, Gemini will be near its highest point from the horizon at around 2am (I believe Stellarium takes daylight savings into account, just as the sky map at
www.heavens-above.com does) - and much closer to North than East, and 20 degrees above the horizon (measure out an open handspan at arm's length above the horizon). Don't worry if you can't remember every detail exactly, just wear enough insect repellent and look in the general direction for a good length of time while your eyes adapt to the dark.
The
meteor flux estimator I alluded to in my previous post should be a good indicator for how many you might be able to see (don't forget to set it to 2009).