View Full Version : Geminids meteor shower 13/14th December
I've not witnessed this event before, but hoping to see something interesting and maybe try a few pics if it's clear....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geminids
http://science.nasa.gov/NEWHOME/headlines/ast04dec98_1.htm
HTH
Thanks for the heads up! :)
Doesn't look good weather wise at the moment though.:shrug:
Just like with that recent comet, with the perseids, with the leonids, etc. etc. etc....
:bang:
Cool thanks for the heads up!
fraggle101
05-12-2007, 19:00
Nice, now who kbnows which way were to look then???
I know its UP!!! :cuckoo: but in what direction... :shrug:
fraggle101
05-12-2007, 19:10
If its clear does anyone wanna meet up somewhere nice and dark??? (No Light pollution!!)
Vigo's nice and dark :lol:
fraggle101
05-12-2007, 19:17
??? :shake: ???
Buttkicker
05-12-2007, 20:08
Here is one of my efforts from earlier this summer
http://eventphotographer.smugmug.com/photos/183492554-L.jpg
fraggle101
05-12-2007, 20:17
Thats nice.. a VERY clear night you had there..
Nice, now who kbnows which way were to look then???
I know its UP!!! :cuckoo: but in what direction... :shrug:
Towards gemini, or for the non astronomers among us it seems you need to look South.
If its clear does anyone wanna meet up somewhere nice and dark??? (No Light pollution!!)
I'll be going up to dartmoor if the weather is not too bad, bit of a distance from you though.:thinking::lol:
fraggle101
05-12-2007, 20:57
No its not.. its just down the road!! oh!! hang on.. im not at Lympstone anymore!! lol..
Ok south it is.. thx for that.. i can i.d. the Plough and that about it!! lol, sometimes i think i can see seven sisters.. but im not sure if it is!! hehe..
Le Chant
05-12-2007, 21:48
I'll be largely in my field, all lights off with the camera on the tripod! No light pollution in my bit of France!
I've seen many meteor showers, but never had a go at shooting them.
laser_jock99
05-12-2007, 23:12
I'll be largely in my field, all lights off with the camera on the tripod! No light pollution in my bit of France!
Lucky you- I lost interest in things astromonical because of the orange night sky we have here in the Midlands.
The good news is there will only be a thin crescent moon in the West which won't interfere with the display.
Nice, now who kbnows which way were to look then???
I know its UP!!! :cuckoo: but in what direction... :shrug:
The NASA link above has details for viewing this meteor shower :)
Geminids meteors can be seen anytime after 10 p.m. local time, when the constellation Gemini is well above the horizon, but the best time to look is during the early morning hours between about 2 a.m. and dawn. That's when the local sky is pointing directly into the Geminid meteor stream.
Gemini rises about 08:00 p.m. local time at mid-latitudes in the Northern hemisphere. The radiant of the Geminid shower is located near Castor, one of the two bright stars in Gemini (the other bright star is Pollux). To find the constellation at 2:00 a.m., go outside and face south. Castor and Pollux will appear approximately 45 degrees above the horizon. Earlier in the evening, from 10:00 p.m. until midnight, Gemini will be about 30 degrees above the horizon in the southeast.
fraggle101
06-12-2007, 08:33
The NASA link above has details for viewing this meteor shower :)
As long as those details are relevant to us 4000 miles and 6 or so hrs difference.. im sure this thing moves!! lol..
As long as those details are relevant to us 4000 miles and 6 or so hrs difference.. im sure this thing moves!! lol..
Yeah, I reckon it's accurate for anyone in the Northern hemisphere, as mentioned in the text :thumbs:
This page has a good graphic that shows you where to look for them. (scroll down)
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/03dec_asteroidshower.htm
The latest weather, in the south west at least, looks very good for both Thursday and Friday. I probably won't be able to shoot them on Thursday night, how less active will they be on Friday night?
fraggle101
10-12-2007, 13:43
Are there any people in the London / Home counties area that would like to meet up to shoot these things?? it would be nice to get a small group together and a couple of flasks of soup/Tea!! ..
Any takers??
Same here for the North Norfolk area. I have a PRIME place planned, that has a atsonomical 'star party' for one week a year in the summer. The area has like ZERO light pollution, and providing the weather is good it should be a good night! :) :naughty:
Come on guy's, we all know it'll be cloudy with a 99.9999% chance of rain:lol:.
I'm presuming this type of photography requires a tripod and I ant got one yet:'( so feeling a bit brassed off that I cant have a go, having said that, Ive got some bubble gum and string in't shed so I may try and knock summat up;)
Good luck with it and post yer pics(weather permitting)
You could possibly try some hand held shots, although how successful you will be is debatable. You would need a VERY fast lens, a high ISO and a hell of a lot of luck (or very fast reflexes). :lol: These things happen quite a lot (well 2-3 times a year, so maybe consider getting just a cheapo triod if you really want to have a go. It's lots of fun even if you don't get any stars.
Piece of advice though, wrap up WARM, I was out for a few hours a couple of weeks ago and even with two fleeces, a jacket and waterproof jacket I still got cold after about an hour. :(
I'm heading up to Dartmoor on Friday afternoon/evening for a shot then (can't get up there on thursday due to having to cycle from Plymouth and not being able to leave until after 6pm) so if anyone is interested it'll be interesting.
The moon is going to set at around 8.30-9pm on Thursday and Friday night so there's going to be some very dark conditions which will help a lot. :)
The moon is going to set at around 8.30-9pm on Thursday and Friday night so there's going to be some very dark conditions which will help a lot. :)
Its going to be or less a new moon anyway, so it wont make differance i dont think.:shrug:
Towards gemini, or for the non astronomers among us it seems you need to look South.
Gemini is not an astronomical moniker. It is an astrological moniker, Mr. Astronomer...
:D
Went out into the garden at 12.30am this morning, and I saw loads of stars as it was very clear, but no comet/shooting stars at all??
liquidsky59
11-12-2007, 18:52
so, close to london. what you guys reckon is the best place to go shoot it? :|
i've downloaded the http://www.stellarium.org/ and it's possible to simulate tomorrow sky. it's going to be east, a bit more towards south than north, i guess.
Its going to be or less a new moon anyway, so it wont make differance i dont think.:shrug:
It'll be a crescent moon so it won't have a huge effect no, but it'll still make a bit of difference.:)
davidbridges
11-12-2007, 22:08
well i have no camera so ... :(
Went out into the garden at 12.30am this morning, and I saw loads of stars as it was very clear, but no comet/shooting stars at all??
thats because its only the 11th glen, your early mate. :razz:
fraggle101
12-12-2007, 10:12
C'mon guys, who wants to get a meet together for this??
Just been out and had a look.
Saw a few meteors, aswell as what i think is mars going by the appearing and location thats been stated on stardate. (http://stardate.org/nightsky/planets/) Its in the east/south east.
Looks like the next few nights will be pretty good!
Darn it !
I really want to get a tripod for this but wont be able to justify it with my mississ after just spending £600+ on the camera and extra lens:'(
I will be out in the garden looking up and thinking of what could have been:'(:'(:'(
Doozie, just get a load of stuff to prop the camera up on, it works :)
Snake Man
13-12-2007, 14:24
I'm thinking about heading across the mendips where there is no light pollution. Hopefully it will clear up, still quite cloudy here.
If anyone has attempted to capture this before, would be interested in exposure settings people used please.
I appreciate for different 'effects', I could use longer exposures, but a ball park figure would be really helpful.
Jas
fraggle101
13-12-2007, 14:49
S*d it!! iv got 2 cameras but no remote release for either of em!! lol.. im off to hand over my 400D to a buyer and thats got everything i need!! lol.. wish i was keeping it now!! :shake: lol...
I still want to go looking tonight, so if theres anyone going out to photograph then i'll volenteer to bring some tea.. :thumbs:
minimeeze
13-12-2007, 18:04
Looks like perfect meteor spotting weather tonight :woot: Doubt I'll be staying up late though - work in the morning.
Snake Man
13-12-2007, 18:48
^^^ Not here :( about 90% cloud cover at the mo. Gona make a final decision at 7:30 weather to go or not. If not, hopefully tomorrow will be better.
davidbridges
13-12-2007, 19:59
Ok i've just been out for ten minutes and i've seen two meteor. I was looking towards the big orange planet in the east and i saw one just to the north of it and one just above it... i think thats the general direction you want to be looking (so it corresponds the comments above) just look to the east (for non astronomers). Theres a bit of fog and cloud hear but the meteors are bright enough to see easily so...
wickwhistle
13-12-2007, 20:32
S*d it!! iv got 2 cameras but no remote release for either of em!! lol.. im off to hand over my 400D to a buyer and thats got everything i need!! lol.. wish i was keeping it now!! :shake: lol...
Sorry mate!!!! I love it and I'm so glad you didn't keep it :lol:
Not got a tripod but will be looking up and south tonight - can't work the camera out of auto mode at the mo so I'm ploughing through the manual as I type :D
Look more to the west I think m8, try and find Mars.
laser_jock99
13-12-2007, 21:34
^^^ Not here :( about 90% cloud cover at the mo. Gona make a final decision at 7:30 weather to go or not. If not, hopefully tomorrow will be better.
I went out last night for a quick recce. I found a darkish sky site a mile up a rutted Byway up and I parked up for a few hours. Saw a few meteors but none recorded on the CCD. Tonight (Thursday) does not look quite as clear...
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f206/laser_jock99/ASTRONOMICAL/DSCF2580_1.jpg
minimeeze
13-12-2007, 21:35
I don't believe it... the sky was lovely & clear until about 30 mins ago. Now I can't even see a single star :bang:
laser_jock99
13-12-2007, 21:38
I don't believe it... the sky was lovely & clear until about 30 mins ago. Now I can't even see a single star :bang:
That's why I went out last night!
davidbridges
13-12-2007, 22:03
Where the hell are they, ive seen some in the east some in the north and some in the west ..... i think its safe to say that they are in the sky !
i've been having a look every now and then, if i'm correct, then geminids should be just above orion? I haven't seen much in the way of meteors though, i think i may have seen one, that was in a total space of about 10 minutes split into 3 parts (been at work and had a quick nosy every hour or so).
fraggle101
13-12-2007, 23:06
Sorry mate!!!! I love it and I'm so glad you didn't keep it :lol:
Not got a tripod but will be looking up and south tonight - can't work the camera out of auto mode at the mo so I'm ploughing through the manual as I type :D
Your more than welcome to it, i hope it brings you as much enjoyment as it has for me.. im sure you will be verturing off the 'Green square mode' soon enough.. :thumbs:
I hope you enjoyed your TEA!! :bang: lol..
I just caame back from Dartmoor, the weather wasn't too bad but there were still clouds around. Annoyingly it off the Stone circle I was going silhouette against the sky turned out to be in a dip, which meant there was no way of seeing it in the exposures.:bang:
I saw about a dozen meteors while I was there (about two hours after it got properly dark), nothing spectacular. And to top it off I just got back to the Plymouth industrial estate when I saw the best meteor of the night. :bonk: It ws going literally straight down, and I wouldn't be suprised if the news reported it having landed in Plymouth!
fraggle101
14-12-2007, 00:26
Weve got heavy low level cloud here now!! not a chance to see anything!!
Only saw one driving along the M3 about 8pm but it was a corker :thumbs:
fraggle101
14-12-2007, 00:41
Thx for that pxl8!! iv been looking forward to this all week and i havnt got to see ONE!!!
Bugger..
fender87
14-12-2007, 02:23
wow that was great i stood out my back garden for 30mins anyway i got 1 picture out of it lol :) didn't have a clue what settings to use but really enjoyed it none the less. Heres my photo :)
Unfortunately some street lights polluted the image.
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/meteor.jpg
laser_jock99
14-12-2007, 08:58
wow that was great i stood out my back garden for 30mins anyway i got 1 picture out of it lol :) didn't have a clue what settings to use but really enjoyed it none the less. Heres my photo :)
Unfortunately some street lights polluted the image.
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/meteor.jpg
Looks like an aircraft or maybe a satelite trail?
fraggle101
14-12-2007, 14:06
There must be some more shots of these.. id love to see em.. :thumbs:
Buttkicker
14-12-2007, 17:28
Check out
www.heavens-above.com for lots of great space info
also gives details about the ISS passing times... and if you have a clear sky outside get a telescope and have a look to the southwest at 6.11pm to see the space station
should take 3 minutes to cross the field of view, today (14 december)
Hasn't got any shooting stars in unfortunately but this is my effort...
http://www.wildaboutlife.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=758&g2_serialNumber=1
I was all pumped to go today but im too lazy now to go.
I was all pumped to go today but im too lazy now to go.
Do you have a car? If so there is no excuse!
Just to make you feel bad and give you a bit of impetus, I had to cycle 25 miles to get that shot, then cycle 25 miles back in the dark to get home. I left at 11:30 am and arrived back home at around 11 pm!:lol:
Oh and by 8pm the frost was already coming, hard! ;)
photostar_1
15-12-2007, 07:15
I don't believe it... the sky was lovely & clear until about 30 mins ago. Now I can't even see a single star :bang:
Me too.....not a star in the sky when I was ready to try!
laser_jock99
15-12-2007, 07:20
Do you have a car? If so there is no excuse!
Just to make you feel bad and give you a bit of impetus, I had to cycle 25 miles to get that shot, then cycle 25 miles back in the dark to get home. I left at 11:30 am and arrived back home at around 11 pm!:lol:
Oh and by 8pm the frost was already coming, hard! ;)
Good photo worth the effort! Definately less light pollution on Dartmoor than I had to deal with. Check out how much I had to adjust the hue map to make the orange sky glow in 'rural' Warwickshire apear more natural. Bearing in mind I was at least 5 miles from the nearest town!
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f206/laser_jock99/ASTRONOMICAL/Light_pollution.jpg
Do you have a car? If so there is no excuse!
Just to make you feel bad and give you a bit of impetus, I had to cycle 25 miles to get that shot, then cycle 25 miles back in the dark to get home. I left at 11:30 am and arrived back home at around 11 pm!:lol:
Oh and by 8pm the frost was already coming, hard! ;)
The solid cloud cover kinda turned me off a bit, that and the no sleep in 48hours :p
davidbridges
16-12-2007, 17:32
So after all of this we have no shots of a meteor !
minimeeze
16-12-2007, 18:14
... and the worse thing is that it was only cloudy here for those two days :annoyed:
davidbridges
16-12-2007, 18:29
... I didnt have my camera, if i had, i would of had some cracking shots. I've even been out tonight and nothing ! so :(
laser_jock99
18-12-2007, 00:35
So after all of this we have no shots of a meteor !
Just goes to show how frustrating astrophotography (especially with the UK weather) can be!
Pity the weather was so poor... a friend and I drove all over the place looking for a gap in the cloud cover, but found nowt, so retired to a pub instead. At least it will be back again next year :)
davidbridges
26-12-2007, 12:43
Not trying to steal your thread or anything but the next shower is the 3rd of jan, so its not long at all http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=467094#post467094
Not trying to steal your thread or anything but the next shower is the 3rd of jan, so its not long at all http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=467094#post467094
:thumbs: I'll be keeping my eyes peeled once again :)
can u see it from all over britain?
id imagine so, it says the northern hemisphere. so it depends on the weather moreso than the place of the country your at. i hope weatherwise these are more successful than the geminids..
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