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Meteor Showers and other Night Sky Events

MoJames

By MoJames
in Daily Texan

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Paper_jam

Paper_jam 831

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Rant about light pollution: Even on clear nights, I can only see the brightest meteors basically directly overhead. Doesn't help that my neighbors always have outdoor lights blasting (front and back yards) all night. And who made the decision that neighborhoods need streetlights glaring every 100 feet, or that gas stations need to be brighter than a supernova?

People think it's "safer" to have everything lit up like it's goddamn daytime; shit, that just lets the crooks see better.

 

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Hate

Hate 20108

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I can report a great meteor show at 10:22 PM in The Woodlands. There was one that took a full two seconds to burn up. I’m sitting in the spa on this beautiful May night and I hope to see at least one more.

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UpperWestside

UpperWestside 6169

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I would love to get to see a good meteor shower, but I would have to get a good ways outside of NYC. If I get to go upstate this summer and go camping hopefully there will be one that week. My mother always goes out to watch them in Texas where she lives. She has done that for as long as I can remember. 

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CHIEF

CHIEF 5091

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On 5/4/2021 at 7:46 PM, MoJames said:

 

Been seeing plenty of stuff floating around and trying to keep up with it. Figured I'd start a thread.

 

https://starwalk.space/na/en/eta-aquariid-2021

 

Tomorrow night is the peak for the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower.

 

I'll get to watch it Friday and Saturday night out between Benjamin and Guthrie in the middle of several hundred thousand acres of ranches. The least light pollution in Northwest Texas.

CHIEF

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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16 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I would love to get to see a good meteor shower, but I would have to get a good ways outside of NYC. If I get to go upstate this summer and go camping hopefully there will be one that week. My mother always goes out to watch them in Texas where she lives. She has done that for as long as I can remember. 

If you want a good meat shower, just head down to the West Village.  No need to "have to get a good ways outside of NYC."  

Oh wait, meteor shower.  Sorry.  

Tonight should be good watching just outside Austin with no cloud cover.  I wish my daughters wouldn't lose their fucking minds when they stayed up past 8:00p; 

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InkaUtexas

InkaUtexas 25951

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38 minutes ago, Lobo said:

If you want a good meat shower, just head down to the West Village.  No need to "have to get a good ways outside of NYC."  

Oh wait, meteor shower.  Sorry.  

Tonight should be good watching just outside Austin with no cloud cover.  I wish my daughters wouldn't lose their fucking minds when they stayed up past 8:00p; 

What time is it scheduled for? Too lazy to look it up. Have a friend coming over about midnight. Would love to watch it with her. 

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CHIEF

CHIEF 5091

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On 5/6/2021 at 7:01 AM, CHIEF said:

I'll get to watch it Friday and Saturday night out between Benjamin and Guthrie in the middle of several hundred thousand acres of ranches. The least light pollution in Northwest Texas.

CHIEF

Well, it was fucking overcast the whole time we were there. Was really looking forward to it, but there will be plenty of opportunities.

CHIEF

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bmbmd

bmbmd 1027

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A much easier chore, one that gives me great glee every time I successfully accomplish it, is to Spot the Station.  Nasa will send you a text or an email when the International Space Station will be visible in your night sky.  https://spotthestation.nasa.gov is the link to register for reminders.  https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/ is another good source for ISS updates-Darpinian sends out info on all sorts of satellites, and has more potential opportunities listed.  NASA only reports the sure fire opportunities. 

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mchookem

mchookem 16336

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i've seen the ISS multiple times, i frequently check it's path. it's really weird in that unlike some of the far up satellites that are just a tiny dot moving across the sky, with the ISS i literally get the sense of it being a vessel...

one time many years ago it was being 'chased' by one of the shuttles that was going to dock with it...both of them came straight over our house, in a line, so bright and clear, i swear i could almost see the light itself (like, the actual light fixture or whatever). it is so much bigger and brighter than other satellites! that was a real trip!

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Paper_jam

Paper_jam 831

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The whole metro area (Austin/Round Rock etc.) has a severe light dome. The farther away you can get, the better, but I'd say to even get anything close to dark-ish (relatively) skies you'd need to go east of Manor or north of Georgetown, west of Cedar Park, etc. Basically outside all the suburban areas.  (If you are closer to the city, you'll probably still be able to see some brighter meteors directly overhead, but obviously darker is better.) 

On a light pollution map, the Granger Lake area doesn't look bad, you might be able to use one of the parks there (check the hours). I've never been there at night though.

Edit: Lago Vista and points west might also be decent, especially if you are looking to the northern or western sky.

 

 

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bolverk

bolverk 29683

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4 hours ago, hookem2010 said:

Perseid meteor shower is supposed to ramp up the next three days. Any recs for places near Austin to go to avoid light pollution as best as possible? I inherited a telescope I would like to try out as well.

Not sure where you are in the metro area, but here's the map:

https://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html#8/30.426/-96.907

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