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We've just planned a Perseids Meteor Watch event in Cudham for next Wednesday night (13 August).
This will be the same format as in previous years, with the session starting at around 10pm and carrying on until we get fed up with the clouds 😉
I'm trying to get agreement from the Blacksmith's Arms in Cudham to use their car park for the event, which we've done in previous years. If we get agreement, and you come along to the event, make sure you have a drink in the pub before going out to the recreation ground!
Last year's event was very successful, though we will have to contend with a very bright Moon this year, which will be 97% illuminated!
You usually start seeing meteors an hour or so before midnight, with the radiant near the Double Cluster in Perseus climbing higher in the sky throughout the night.
This is the favourite meteor shower for most observers. This is because, in addition to being rich in bright meteors, it occurs during summer in the northern hemisphere as opposed to the cold nights of December for the Geminids!
The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the peak in activity being between August 9 and 14, depending on the particular location of the stream. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour. They can be seen all across the sky, but because of the path of Swift-Tuttle's orbit, Perseids are primarily visible in the northern hemisphere. As with all meteor showers, the rate is greatest in the pre-dawn hours, since the side of the Earth nearest to turning into the sun scoops up more meteors as the Earth moves through space.
Let's hope for clear skies!
Posted : 06/08/2014 8:14 am
Dear Members
We will be holding our annual Perseid Meteor Watch in Cudham next week on August 13th from 10pm.
For those who have not been to this event before, we hold the event on the Cudham recreation ground which is an excellent Dark(ish) Sky site surprisingly close to London. Unlike our regular haunt of Blackheath, the band of the Milky Way can clearly be seen.
Our normal setup is to take a chair or blanket, sit back and enjoy the show. If you wish to take a scope or camera then no problem. I will send out a simple guide via the group and also the forum before the event on simple ways to take images of the Perseid's.
The event really requires members to attend under their own steam so to speak. Therefore if anyone would like to go and needs a lift, please contact me and I will see what can be arranged.
There is a car park at the entrance to the recreation ground, however we do not recommend you use this as it will be locked from about 11pm and no warning about moving cars will be given! Next to the car park is the Blacksmiths Arms. They are quite happy for us to use their car park which connects directly to the park. Popping in briefly for a quick drink is optional but would be welcomed as thanks for the pub letting us use their facilites. I would propose therefore, to arrive at the pub for around 9.30pm.
Directions to Cudham are as follows;
http://flamsteed.info/observing/stargazing-events/cudham-stargazing/
See you there
Best Regards
Rupert
Observing and Imaging Group
Posted : 07/08/2014 2:13 pm
I will be there! Never seen a meteor shower before. Really looking forward to it.
I will be getting there for 11pm.
Question: Is it worthwhile trying to do a one hour time lapse with my rather slowish 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 stock Canon lens? Or is my lens too slow for such an endeavour? Perhaps I'm better off just doing normal videoing of the skies to capture any potential meteor flare up etc but I figure will have no stars showing up in the background.
Either way, I am just going to plump my camera up on arrival, set up the interval timer or press record if videoing then let it do what the hell it wants as I'll be unfolding my chair, watching and waiting, chilling with the skies...or with you guys if it turns out to be bloody cloudy after all that prep and anticipation 😉
Posted : 08/08/2014 2:36 pm
Topic starter
Is it worthwhile trying to do a one hour time lapse with my rather slowish 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 stock Canon lens?
I think f/3.5 should be fine. I'd keep the focal length at 18mm, if I were you, and try to target as wide an area of the sky as possible.
Keep the aperture at f/3.5 and bump up the ISO as far as you dare. Then take a series of 30 second exposures and see what happens! Chances are you will pick up something... though last year, despite it being a pretty good show, I didn't get anything!
The main problem we will have this year is the Moon, so I'd suggest pointing your camera as far away from it as possible, otherwise you will find the sky massively overexposed. You may have to reduce your exposure time, depending on how much sky glow the Moon is causing.
Posted : 08/08/2014 3:46 pm
Thanks Mike, I'll follow your suggestion. Even if I dont get any meteors, it will actually still be my first photographing a night sky in dark sky location, anyway. So a win for me either way...clouds allowing of course 🙂
Posted : 08/08/2014 4:36 pm
Topic starter
We'd better watch out on Wednesday evening 😉
Posted : 11/08/2014 4:13 pm
Quick! While there's still time today, look at Google.co.uk's Google doodle on the Perseids meteor shower!
Posted : 11/08/2014 7:18 pm
Posted : 11/08/2014 10:28 pm
weather doesn't look that promising for wednesday 🙁
Posted : 11/08/2014 11:38 pm
Topic starter
weather doesn’t look that promising for wednesday
Bit of rain due early evening, but most forecasts suggest that it will clear up later on... MetOffice suggest clear skies from 10pm until around 1am! Perfect.
Posted : 11/08/2014 11:44 pm
So I looked at the met office weather and it said rain to about 1 am. Saw your post and checked the met office weather again, I swear that has just change in the last 10 minutes!
Posted : 11/08/2014 11:48 pm
The more often they change the forecast, the greater the chance one of their forecasts is accurate 😉
Posted : 11/08/2014 11:52 pm
Another ROG astronomer quoted on the Perseids. This time it's the Grauniad calling on Radmila Topalovic - better known as Rad, who was my GCSE Astronomy tutor.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/shortcuts/2014/aug/11/best-way-to-see-perseid-meteor-shower
Posted : 12/08/2014 1:04 am
Bah, the Met and every other weather report centres are just scientific versions of William Hill bookies. 2:1 odds, place your bets now!
In the meantime, (ignoring all your weather mutterings) I'm preparing myself for my very first night sky photography on Wednesday by rehearsing setting up my canon dslr settings and mounting it on my newly purchased Manfrotto BeFree tripod/ballhead unit (bought it on Saturday at Jessops). Its a cleverly designed compact tripod. It retails at £179 but quite a few stores was selling it for around £120. Its performance in stability is yet to be judged on Wednesday but the reason I bought it, was one, compactness (as some of you know, I am a car-less backpack traveller) and two, its extremely well reviewed for being sturdy for its type. Its not light but it cleverly folds up (without detaching the ball head) to just a 16inch height and 3.5 inch diameter, fitting snugly in my everyday sports backpack. Came with a snazzy looking case too. I love its cleverness, I hope it performs sufficiently for my first attempt at long exposure shots. When I get fully fledged in DSLR photography, I will invest in the heavier duty tripods/ball heads and when I do, I will be seeking Mike's advice but for now, I hope this will be sufficient for my needs which according to reviews and recommendations, it should be. Of course if its quite windy, I wont expect it to perform compared to heavier duty tripods.
Posted : 12/08/2014 1:05 am
New kit alert! New kit alert!
Posted : 12/08/2014 1:10 am
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