"Catch A Falling Star"

[RobO]

Hi All

For those of you so inclined, there is a photo opportunity tonight if the skies are clear. We are approaching the peak of the Quadrantids meteor shower.

A quote from Spaceweather.com

"FIRST METEORS OF 2010: The annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Jan. 3rd around 1900 UT (2 pm EST) when Earth passes through a stream of debris from shattered comet 2003 EH1. The timing favors observers in eastern Europe and Asia. In North America, where the peak occurs in daylight, it may be possible to hear the shower on meteor radar. Tune into Space Weather Radio for live echoes. images: from James Beauchamp of Oklahoma City, OK"
http://www.spaceweather.com/

Good luck if you fancy a try, but wrap up warm - very warm

Rob

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Rob,

Is UT also GMT?

i.e. is it 1900 for me in London?

Where would I look, straight up, N, S, E or W?

Please forgive the astronubie questions

Thanks,

[wjh31]

UT can basicly be treated as GMT, so pretty much now.

You look for showers in a constelation, rather than a direction, since the earth rotates... wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrantids) suggests that they would be found around the constelation of bootes, "It lies between the end of the handle of the Big Dipper and the quadrilateral of stars marking the head of the constellation Draco."

Im no expert, dont bet anything on this info

[RobO]

Hi Rob,

Is UT also GMT?

i.e. is it 1900 for me in London?

Where would I look, straight up, N, S, E or W?

Please forgive the astronubie questions

Thanks,

Hi Dave

I would say "no problems" but I had 2 HDD crashes earlier in the year & lost all the info I now need!

I usually use the meteors to work [make contact with] other Amateur Radio stations between 2500-3300km apart.

Here is a link to Oswin Radar who monitor the meteor activity -
http://www.iap-kborn.de/OSWIN-Meteor...98.0.html?&L=1
and
http://www.iap-kborn.de/fileadmin/us..._met_aoa01.png

Sorry it was very late notice and I guess that it's probably too cloudy to see much in the UK, but there are others during the year. Probably this one and the Perseids in August are the two notable events.

I love to see the photos of Auroras on the Spaceweather.com site. I've only ever seen two in the UK and never had a camera to hand for either!

Good luck if you manage to have some clear skies, they are quite frequent at the moment, but will die away quite quickly - probably try SE through SW to begin with.

My radio software tells me where to point the aerials .

I hope you have some success

Regards

Rob