It's the first clear night since I've been here, and it reminds
me just how hazy and light-polluted the skies are in the UK.
The sky is littered with stars, the milky way is bright and
clearly-defined, and I saw a dozen or so meteors (all around
the zenith) in the 10 mins I stood outside before I got too cold.
Seems a bit early for Leonids ... anyone know any better?

Philip Eden

Could well have been the Alpha Lyrids, Philip. Lyra is overhead late
evenings at this time of year.

http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/july_radiants.html

Jim.


"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
It's the first clear night since I've been here, and it reminds
me just how hazy and light-polluted the skies are in the UK.
The sky is littered with stars, the milky way is bright and
clearly-defined, and I saw a dozen or so meteors (all around
the zenith) in the 10 mins I stood outside before I got too cold.
Seems a bit early for Leonids ... anyone know any better?

Philip Eden

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
It's the first clear night since I've been here, and it reminds
me just how hazy and light-polluted the skies are in the UK.
The sky is littered with stars, the milky way is bright and
clearly-defined, and I saw a dozen or so meteors (all around
the zenith) in the 10 mins I stood outside before I got too cold.
Seems a bit early for Leonids ... anyone know any better?


The Leonids, when they turn up, are a November shower, so you got that
right.

They might have been Capricornids, visible from 15th July to 25th August,
with its maximum on July 30th.

The major showers are, for those interested...

Shower Active(Peak) Peak Rate**

Quadrantids 1 - 5 Jan (3-4 Jan) 60 - 200
Lyrids 16 - 25 Apr (22 Apr) 20
eta-Aquarids 1 May - 10 May (6 May) 35
June Bootids 26 Jun - 2 Jul (27 Jun) 60-200
Southern
delta-Aquarids 12 Jul - 19 Aug (28 Jul) 20
alpha-Capricornids15 Jul - 25 Aug (2 Aug) 5
Perseids 23 Jul - 20 Aug (12 Aug) 75
Orionids 2 Oct - 7 Nov (21 Oct) 20
Taurids 20 Oct - 30 Nov (4-7 Nov) 12
Leonids 14 - 21 Nov (18 Nov) 100 +
Geminids 7 Dec - 15 Dec (13 Dec) 75
** Peak rates are given for a dark sky under cloudless conditions, meteors
per hour.

Hope this answers your questions!

--
Rob Overfield
President - Hull & East Riding AS
http://www.heras.org.uk