Hey there folks! In case any of you didn't know, the Leonid meteor shower will be peaking tonight. If any of you get a chance to go out and watch, I highly encourage you to do so. Astronomers estimate this to be the most impressive meteor shower for a number of years. I actually saw one on the way home from dinner last night... it was so bright that I actually thought it was a plane going down at first. Although the peak will be around 3:30am EST, there should still be plenty to see before then.

As an idea of how awesome it might get tonight, these pictures were taken in 1998, the last time the shower was supposed to be this heavy:

11/16/2009 9:02:27 AM

Hmmmm...go to bed early and get up at 3:00 or stay up late? Thanks for the reminder, I don't want to miss it this year.

11/16/2009 9:49:37 AM

i might just try and stay up a little late. hopefully we see something.

11/16/2009 9:56:10 AM

This shower is definitely worth staying up to see. It has the potential of being the biggest in our lifetime.

11/16/2009 10:08:31 AM

Where would be a good place to see this? I'm assuming I'll have to leave Raleigh by a good bit.

11/16/2009 10:46:09 AM

^^I'm not knocking you, but don't they always say it will be "the best show" or something of that nature?

11/16/2009 10:48:48 AM

What's a good place to go watch this? Assuming it's clear tonight, where can we get away from the light pollution?

11/16/2009 11:19:50 AM

My back yard... Tis a good spot.

11/16/2009 11:29:19 AM

we've driven south on lake wheeler road before, where all the NC State farms are, and that was pretty good viewing.

11/16/2009 11:31:09 AM

^Yeah that is where I went back in 2002 to watch them.

11/16/2009 12:13:35 PM

i heard falls lake is a good spot

11/16/2009 12:17:57 PM

Edward's Mill has a random dirt road off it where the Astronomy Club of Raleigh meets. If anyone took astronomy at NCSU, the labs were held out there. That might be a good place to go watch!

11/16/2009 12:30:19 PM

Does anyone want to get a group together if they know a spot?

11/16/2009 2:17:52 PM

I need to figure out a good spot for this, and try and figure out the best way to attempt taking pics.

11/16/2009 2:23:23 PM

You might be able to get a few good shots if you do some kind of long exposure?

11/16/2009 2:27:13 PM

On Nov. 17, 2009, Earth will pass through the 1466 stream again, but this time closer to the center. Based on the number of meteors observed in 2008, Vaubaillon can estimate the strength of the coming display: five hundred or more Leonids per hour. The times provided are optimal view hours for PST, but the Leonid Meteor shower may last up to two days so there may be other times for optimal viewing. It is going to be one of the biggest meteor shower events of our lifetime. Leonids will appear to be shooting almost directly out of the planet Mars.

[Edited on November 16, 2009 at 3:20 PM. Reason : -]

11/16/2009 3:10:35 PM

Anyone know a good place not too far from Cary?

11/16/2009 3:57:02 PM

I think Im going to try the art museum up on Blue Ridge. I can't remember if they have lights out where the outdoor art/greenway is.

If there arent any lights it seems like it may be dark enough and is a big enough field that trees wont get in the way.

Hopefully it wont be a big deal to be out there at 3am

11/16/2009 4:01:41 PM

I think I'm just going to settle for something near my house instead of driving out anywhere. There's a small lake behind an apartment complex that an airplane crashed in years back. There are benches too.

There'll probably be a shit-ton of light pollution, but c'mon, we're not looking at stars here.

11/16/2009 4:10:55 PM

any recommendations on how to get some good shots? i posted in the dslr thread but no response yet.

11/16/2009 4:25:20 PM

http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/index.php?lat=35.833401703805094&lng=-78.7005615234375&zoom=9&pollution=true&selected_id=470


find the low light pollution areas easily

11/16/2009 4:30:41 PM

If you have a digital camera use some kind of night setting. If you can actually control shutter speed and aperature size then make the aperature really big and slow the shutter speed way down (Im def not an expert)

This allows more light to enter the camera and expose the film (or xd card). On a sunny day that would overexpose but at night it should work.

Most importantly is to use a tripod or lay the camera on the ground. There is no way you will be able to hold the camera steady enough with a really slow shutter speed. If you dont steady the camera the result is a lot of curvy blurred lines instead of straight meteor tails that you hopefully see.

11/16/2009 4:32:40 PM

^^which basically means you're boned if you're anywhere in Wake County. Just find a place with no trees.

11/16/2009 4:37:15 PM

pretty much...........may drive out to the other side of nashville to my dad's back yard

its in the "green" area


fyi

next months geminid shower should be even better than this years leonid

[Edited on November 16, 2009 at 4:42 PM. Reason : .]

11/16/2009 4:40:35 PM

The good news: last night was a new moon and the lows tonight are in the upper 40s - low 50s.

It could be a dud, but if you don't go out to look then you definitely won't see anything.

11/16/2009 4:46:09 PM

I am so glad i saw this. I was planning on going out at 3 am TOMMOROW morning

11/16/2009 9:18:24 PM

supposed to be really clear up here - hopefully be able to stay up for it

11/16/2009 9:27:43 PM

i think im going to just set my alarm and head outside for a bit and hope to see something around where I live. Not a very good setup but oh well

11/16/2009 9:48:08 PM

Quote :

"Astronomers estimate this to be the most impressive meteor shower for a number of years."

Not to be a dick, but don't they say this about every other year?


That being said, this is going to be the first weekday in 1 1/2 months that I didn't have to be up at 3:30 . . . I suspect I won't be getting up for it

11/16/2009 9:54:35 PM

I saw one during the last shower a few months ago for the first time ever and one about 2 weeks ago late one night. I'm hoping to see at least 3 or 4 tonight!

11/16/2009 10:08:39 PM

We'll be heading out at 1:30 till maybe 2:30, depending on how it goes

11/16/2009 11:02:16 PM

I'm trying to figure out where to go. I may head out to Falls lake area near 50/98, or I may try out the Lake Wheeler Rd thing.

11/16/2009 11:05:32 PM

I was going to go but I dont wanna go alone and the people I was gonna go with bailed

11/16/2009 11:11:40 PM

went out to jordan lake eariler, and despite being very clear, you could tell there was a lot of light pollution coming from the east where wake co was. It might be better to get east or south of the county for a really good view.

11/16/2009 11:14:04 PM

anywhere near NCSU to go? I'm looking at that map and I dont wanna drive 45+min each way to look at the sky for 30 min

11/16/2009 11:16:56 PM

I'd go down to lake wheeler and sit on the dam.

11/16/2009 11:18:46 PM

can you see anything before 3am or not?

11/16/2009 11:35:11 PM

The Lenoids are rising right now, so you really won't see much for another hour. However, 2-5 should be really good.

11/16/2009 11:44:43 PM

Went out to Lake Jordan between 10 and 11 and saw a few.

11/16/2009 11:49:31 PM

Where in the sky are these going to be? All over?

11/17/2009 12:01:58 AM

there is a dome of light that surrounds raleigh, best viewing would be outside of it.

i'm heading to jordan lake.

11/17/2009 12:05:41 AM

Quote :

"Where in the sky are these going to be? All over?"

they'll mostly be coming out of the east, from a spot in the sky very close to mars. Of course as the earth rotates this won't stay in the east, but for the next 2-4 hours it'll be in that general direction. Then the sun will come up and it won't matter.

11/17/2009 12:08:27 AM

Any hope of seeing anything in Raleigh itself? Sadly I'm not able to get out of the city.

11/17/2009 12:27:23 AM

you should at least be able to see 5-10 per hour imo. at about 4am or so

[Edited on November 17, 2009 at 12:36 AM. Reason : .]

11/17/2009 12:35:38 AM

Quote :

"Does anyone want to get a group together if they know a spot?"

This seemed like a good idea, what happened?

11/17/2009 12:43:22 AM

I want to stay up to see these- however biking out to the country at 3 a.m. with research papers to be read isn't gonna happen .

Post your pictures, when you get them!

11/17/2009 12:43:36 AM

I'm still not sure where to go. I'd like to find a good field or something, but finding a random field in the dark right after a new moon would probably be difficult. I may just park on the side of the road somewhere. I need to make a decision between Falls and Jordan unless someone has a better suggestion.

11/17/2009 12:47:55 AM

If a group is happening, I will pay money for a ride.

If they also take me by an ATM.

But seriously though, I will. Raping and murdering me is, as always, optional.

11/17/2009 12:50:53 AM

Also...as noobish as this sounds...in what direction should i be looking..its a pretty big fuckin sky

11/17/2009 1:03:27 AM

eastward i've heard, between Leo and the Big Dipper

11/17/2009 1:04:28 AM