Did anyone else get up to see them??

[hcjilson]

At 5:16 I write after watching for about an hour. I notice I am the only one along with 2 guests that are here.

The Leonids have returned! Not as many as last year, but fortunately clear skies again allowed an early moring show.I was wondering who else has joined me in this morning quest which can only result in butt dragging at 4 PM?

hj

[Sean]

Harry,
I've seen a few so far.........time to go back out.Peak time is 5:30am to 6:00am.

[hcjilson]

My next door neighbor is the weatherman for 2 local radio stations. He's always up on astronomical happenings and told me last night that peak would be about midnight then again at 4-4:30 AM (thats about the time he leaves to go to work!) So I got up and was reasonably disappointed in the show, as you may have gathered from my post.

I came in to make the post, and then noticed my Pard's post of last night in which she linked to an ABC page giving the "story behind the story".I went to that page and found that peak viewing was 5:30 AM not 4:30!
( I guess Dave just wanted some company in the early hours) To make a long story longer, I went back out and was treated to a much better display.When I hit 50 I figured it was time to go in and have another cuppa. Good show!

hj

[Night Train]

It was more like a Meteor Drip. I cant believe I lost an extra hour of sleep for this! :hammer:

[hcjilson]

Night Train, When did you go out? They were cranking from 5:25 until I went in at about 5:50. A shorter time than last year but almost as good.....better in some respects because they were coming in in all directions. Last year they all seemed to be heading east. This year some were heading east, some west, and some south.I had one group of three heading in different directions at the same time!

hj

[Steve Machol]

Marlena and I got up as 2:30am, grabbed some coffee and got into the car to get away from the city lights. Unfortunately the battery was dead! :angry:

So I push started the car (it's a small Geo so not too much of a problem there) and off we went. Alas, I had forgotten to fill up the gas tank. Found a station, filled her up, push started the car again and resumed the trip. We drove about 30 miles north of here into the desert, pulled off the Interstate, set up a couple of chairs and watched the show at 3:42am (12 minutes past peek viewing time.) It was a great show - by far the largest meteor shower we'd ever seen.

After about an hour in the windy chilled desert air, I pushed started the car again and we drove home. All-in-all it was worth the hassle. :)

[chip anderson]

We had cloud cover, did any of you more fortunate individuals tape them for us?

Chip

[JennyP]

I got up at 5a.m. and it was raining here!
My daughter and I had planned to drive about 2 miles to a lakeside park to watch out over the water, but the clouds and rain this morning were so drepressing we just went back to bed. And we both had the day off so it would have been a perfect beginning to the day. Glad some of you were able to get a good show!
~jP

[John R]

Over here even the TV stations missed it all due to mist and cloud cover....They had to resort to showing the last one.....

Now they say I have to wait another 100 years to see the next one....Not a bloody chance.....

[Vicki]

I was outside at 4:00 with the dog and didn't see any then decided to go back out at 5:30 and only seen a few here. it was kinda overcast though. i enjoyed the last one much better. plus it was too cold for me at 5:30 am. ha ha. because of the little one due in april i couldn't enjoy a cup of coffee while watching so i just went back to bed.

vicki

[Sean]

After posting my first reply i went back out at about 5:40 am. At that point thing's really picked up. I lost count of the small streaks of the shower...but was amazed buy the amount of bright red ones that looked like mini comets in the sky. At this point my 5 year old son who is now outside with me at this point said................." Dad ...stop wishing so hard ......your going to use them all up" :)

[hcjilson]

Sean, I hope you saved one of those wishes for me!!!!:D
hj

[Jo]

Sean,

That's adorable!

[Bev Heishman]

We were very overcast here in Central PA last evening. Was out about an hour saw nothing. Projected time here was 10:30-11:30 PM and 5:30 AM. Rose early this AM and saw only a few. Maybe next century.....what a shame.

This coming year is build my telescope year. Can't wait.

[Foveator]

Here in Connecticut, it was an overcast sky. Bummer. I was looking forward to it.

Luckily, last year's was truly spectacular, especially with no moon in the sky.

I was impressed, laying there on the ground, looking into the heavens, that these tiny meteors were shipping off of the atmosphere (or being burned up entering it) just like I would skip a stone on a pond. It made me realize that we are indeed at the bottom of an ocean on air, and that ocean is not that deep!

Jeff