Random Events: A Record

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by Tiassa, Apr 26, 2013.

  1. Tiassa Let us not launch the boat ... Valued Senior Member

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    Just saw a meteorite streak north-northeast of Seattle. Green streak through the clouds. Don't panic; probably a Lyrid straggler.
     
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  3. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    In 69 years I've never seen a "falling star." And that included seven miserable years in the Sonora Desert, with about 360 crystal-clear nights every year.
     
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  5. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    In Key West we see many of these on a regular basis, you need to come down for a vacation sometime and then you'll perhaps see one or two.
     
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  7. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    you've got to be kidding.

    there are a couple of times a year when they are numerous.
    the best time to see them is early morning.

    i've seen at least 3 and they all left a white contrail.
    i've even watched the comet from '98 i believe.
    i used to get up around 4 AM and leave for work at 4:30.
    at that time it was low in the southwestern sky and had an odd arc shape to it.
    after a few days it was visible in the evening in the northern sky and it looked like we were passing through the tail.

    "shooting stars" are only visible briefly unless they makes impact.
     
  8. Pete It's not rocket surgery Registered Senior Member

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    I don't think I've ever missed seeing a few meteors when I've gone properly looking.
    Ever had a proper meteor camp-out?
    Lying on your back, on a rug or in a comfy deck chair, on a clear moonless night, no lights. Doesn't have to be deep country, just anywhere with a reasonable view of the sky. Just relax and keep your eyes open. Some good company for a chat helps. Give it a couple of hours before giving up.
     
  9. Russ_Watters Not a Trump supporter... Valued Senior Member

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    Seriously, on any clear night away from a city, you should see a couple an hour.
     
  10. dragon0788 Registered Member

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    I've seen that before dont panic...:

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  11. Walter L. Wagner Cosmic Truth Seeker Valued Senior Member

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    Try looking for satellites. Usually when I look for them to point out to my kids, they'll see shooting stars, but not the satellite. I've seen scores, if not hundreds.

    If you've never seen a satellite at night, you've not been looking at the night sky much.
     
  12. Tiassa Let us not launch the boat ... Valued Senior Member

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    2013.06.15/23.06 — Mill Creek, Washington

    2013.06.15/23.06

    Mill Creek, Washington.

    Meteor viewed SSE (±170°); trajectory SSE, strong drop to run ratio. Bright, round white head; long, feathered, ghostly white tail; envelope around meteorite distinctly apparent. Visible for over a full second.

    No apparent impact.

    Absolutely gorgeous. Nearly archetypal; the sort of thing ancient legends would describe as supernatural. A crystalline spear from the night sky.
     
  13. Steve100 O͓͍̯̬̯̙͈̟̥̳̩͒̆̿ͬ̑̀̓̿͋ͬ ̙̳ͅ ̫̪̳͔O Valued Senior Member

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    used to sea lots as a kid fishing in the red sea at night.
     
  14. AlexG Like nailing Jello to a tree Valued Senior Member

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    In New England, it seems that the most active nights are also the cloudy ones.:bawl:
     
  15. Tiassa Let us not launch the boat ... Valued Senior Member

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    2013.07.12/02.52 — Mill Creek, Washington

    2013.07.12/02.52

    Mill Creek, Washington.

    Meteor glimpsed ESE, 50° above horizon, 30° drop, approx SSW trajectory. Quick show, nothing distinctive, no dramatic exit. In, through, out.

    Strangely, it's not the best of viewing nights. Just a random rock, I guess.
     
  16. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    I guess I'm just not that interested. This sounds pretty boring to me! I absolutely love birds, but I don't go bird-watching either. I'm not very visually-oriented. My wife says that if I went blind it would take me three days to notice.
     
  17. Layman Totally Internally Reflected Valued Senior Member

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    They are not really that hard to spot, all you have to do is keep your head up from time to time. Sometimes I have caught them out of the corner of my eye and have seen them just from being outside not really paying that much attention to them. You can even spot satellites with the naked eye by seeing their movement over a little period of time, they look like stars but are not to be confused with falling stars.
     
  18. Tiassa Let us not launch the boat ... Valued Senior Member

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    2014.04.07 — Mill Creek, Washington

    2014.04.07 / 22.20 PDT (approx.)

    Mill Creek, Washington.

    Light 35-40° above horizon, ENE approx. 80°. Two seconds brighten, perhaps a second to darken. Coming in at a fairly direct angle, as there was very little lateral or altitudinal movement. Anomalous light, not an airplane making a turn.

    To the other, there is enough condensation in the air tonight that the glow flared in cloud vapor; it's possible I could miss finer details, but nothing I could perceive detected air traffic anywhere near there in the following seconds.

    I'll take meteorite, because it's more fun.
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2014
  19. Tiassa Let us not launch the boat ... Valued Senior Member

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    2015.07.27 ― Mill Creek, Washington (23.40 approx.)

    Not even sure what to tell you. The sky just did a weird thing. And then a satellite wandered through just to complete the show. But looking east-northeast from my place maybe 40-45° up, two lights I had mistaken for stars just disappeared as I stood there staring at the sky with a lit cigarette in my hand.

    Five seconds apart.

    I couldn't tell you which stars I thought they were; just these two lights I frequently see arranged in the sky like that, except they're nothing special. Wouldn't even have noticed except the lower one started to fade, and then was gone; the upper one began fading immediately after that. No apparent clouds to obscure, though that's ... possible.

    But they weren't moving. Just ... there ... and then fading, fading, fading, gone.

    I mean, I can imagine all sorts of things with water vapor and density and all manner of obscuring the light, but I'd suggest it's more likely I wasn't looking at stars. Which only begs the obvious question. I mean, sure, there was a time not long ago a meteorite came in at a nearly head-on trajectory, just lighting up and fading in the sky without moving. But two simultaneously, so close together, on so direct a trajectory that they aren't moving at all in the sky? Exceptionally unlikely.

    How strange.

    Still, pretty cool.
     
    danshawen likes this.
  20. danshawen Valued Senior Member

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    Have you ever read Asimov's short story about, upon humanity pronouncing the last "name of G-d", the Stars began winking out, one by one?

    If you have, forget it. Symbols (and by extension, names), are the tools of finite minds. Infinite minds have no need of them. Nicknames (and only a finite number of those) are the best we will ever be able to manage.

    Actually, I'm a friend of a former non-smoking) close friend of Asimov's who persuaded him to remove tobacco products from his Foundation series after the first one was published. I must remember to mention this to him. I'm certain he (and also Isaac) would be, or would have been amused.
     
  21. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    Are you kidding me!? Do me and yourself a favor; on August 11 find a dark sky, lay down on a blanket and within 30 minutes (probably much less) you will have seen your first shooting star.

    Just realized this is from 2 years ago...
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2015
  22. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    27,543
    I did similar on a remote beach in Fiji around 12 years ago......with my trusty 7x50's I was able to discertain three of the Galilean Satellites.

    And have seen heaps of "shooting stars" particularly when I had my "Redshift 4 Astronomical program which gave the RA and Dec when a comet or meteroid was making any pass or approach.
     
  23. danshawen Valued Senior Member

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