Anyone taking pics of meteor shower on 18 Nov?

[android17]

Event
The Leonid Meteor Shower

Nov 17, 2009 - Nov 18, 2009

Science Centre, Japanese Gardens

8pm – 5am (*8pm – 2am: activities / 2am – 5am: free & easy)

Price: Free Admission

Description

The Science Centre Singapore and TASOS are celebrating the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009 with a big bang. The stars of the show are forecasted to be a half meteor storm that will happen at 5am. Astronomers have predicted that the annual Leonids might put up the most dramatic light show not seen in recent years as the earth passes close to the centre of the comet’s debris trail laid down in 1466. The ideal locations for viewing are in Asia* and North America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6eg6ayQsOg

 

[wkteoh]

I might go. Sounds interesting. Need caffeine though. And next day's work is going to be a nightmare.

 

[NormanTan]

Any website or what?

 

[aspenx]

Will the Science Centre be organising something like this for Geminids too?

And will there be scopes that they allow us to point our cameras on or??

 

[wildsoyabean]

sg can see meh...so much light pollution

 

[ManWearPants]

What do you use to shoot these?

- video or still mode?
- UWA or tele?

 

[android17]

The 2009 Leonid Meteor Shower

Posted on: Tuesday, 10 November 2009, 14:20 CST

This year's Leonid meteor shower peaks on Tuesday, Nov. 17th. If forecasters are correct, the shower should produce a mild but pretty sprinkling of meteors over North America followed by a more intense outburst over Asia. The phase of the Moon will be new, setting the stage for what could be one of the best Leonid showers in years.

"We're predicting 20 to 30 meteors per hour over the Americas, and as many as 200 to 300 per hour over Asia," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "Our forecast is in good accord with independent theoretical work by other astronomers." (1)

Leonids are bits of debris from Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Every 33 years the comet visits the inner solar system and leaves a stream of dusty debris in its wake. Many of these streams have drifted across the November portion of Earth's orbit. Whenever we hit one, meteors come flying out of the constellation Leo.

"We can predict when Earth will cross a debris stream with pretty good accuracy," says Cooke. "The intensity of the display is less certain, though, because we don't know how much debris is in each stream." Caveat observer!

The first stream crossing on Nov. 17th comes around 0900 UT (4 a.m. EST, 1 a.m. PST). The debris is a diffuse mix of particles from several old streams that should produce a gentle display of two to three dozen meteors per hour over North America. Dark skies are recommended for full effect.

"A remarkable feature of this year's shower is that Leonids will appear to be shooting almost directly out of the planet Mars," notes Cooke.

It's just a coincidence. This year, Mars happens to be passing by the Leonid radiant at the time of the shower. The Red Planet is almost twice as bright as a first magnitude star, so it makes an eye-catching companion for the Leonids: sky map.

The next stream crossing straddles the hour 2100-2200 UT, shortly before dawn in Indonesia and China. At that time, Earth will pass through a pair of streams laid down by Comet Tempel-Tuttle in 1466 and 1533 AD. The double crossing could yield as many as 300 Leonids per hour.

"Even if rates are only half that number, it would still be one of the best showers of the year," says Cooke.

The Leonids are famous for storming, most recently in 1999-2002 when deep crossings of Tempel-Tuttle's debris streams produced outbursts of more than 1000 meteors per hour. The Leonids of 2009 won't be like that, but it only takes one bright Leonid streaking past Mars to make the night worthwhile.

Enjoy the show.

 

[android17]

Btw I came across this so just sharing this here just incase someone might be interested. If can't see much please don blame me

But since science centre organising, should be able to see I guess.

 

[aquilaa]

What do you use to shoot these?

- video or still mode?
- UWA or tele?

I will use wide angle lens to shoot meteors, but shoot
meteors is very difficult in Singapore thanks to the
light pollution.

check these articles for meteors photography.

1) D. Cicco, Sky & Telescope, Aug 1993, 97-98.
2) R. W. Sinnott, Sky & Telescope, Feb 1994, 85-87.

 

[haqeel]

Im interested. But im afraid itll be a failed one like the prev meteor shower few months back. Camped the night opening shutters but see no meteor rain

 

[aspenx]

Leonids' activity is ~40 meteors per hour only.

Don't see why Science Centre and Straits Times must make such a big deal out of it. Most of us want to see meteor SHOWERS.

But for the avid astrophotographer, Leonids might be a field day (for them).

 

[antares2063]

Singapore has 2 major problems for astronomy related events....

1) Light pollution
2) Cloudy skies , overcast skies, rain etc etc

How often do u get to see a blue almost no-cloud sky like those in australia ?

 

[ManWearPants]

So this Leonid is happening tomorrow night UMT 2300hrs meaning 7am in Singapore? How to see meteors in the daytime?

 

[adorable]

What exposure to use? :bigeyes:
I tried taking stars and it takes like 30 min exposure to see something leh :bigeyes:

 

[Ian]

How to photograph the leonids by a veteran of 40 years of leonid watching (ie: ME).

1 - Use a wide angle lens - open it wide open .. ideally 17-24mm on full frame DSLR or 12-17mm on DX sensor.

2) Set ISO to 800 @ f2.8 on the lens.

3) Exposure time approx 40-50 seconds

From Singapore the radient point for the Leonids will be roughly NW and about 70 degrees above the horizon.

Start shooting around 4.00am and finish just on dawn. Adjust for dawn conditions and keep shooting another 10 mins or so.

For optimum shooting use a wide angle video lens hooked up to a video camera with an image intensifier between lens and camera.

NOTE: 40 Leonid meteors per hour includes quite a few which will be naked eye invisible.

 

[cabbySHE]

This evening's new reported that those staying at the East side, i.e. Changi, Marine Parade, Bedok South, Upper east Coast etc should be able to see this shower...maybe its a piece of crap info on the stn.

 

[krishna91]

woot ! i stay at tanjong rhu

 

[antares2063]

for those attempting to catch/photograph...try to find a big open space with wide views of the sky.. no point trying to look for meteors when half the sky is blocked by HDB flats

Good luck and pray for clear skies good tonight

 

[Daedalus Trent]

As of now, the sky looks pretty good!

 

[NineEleven]

Interesting. U guys can maybe head over to Ubin or some southern islands & camp over night

Rem to bring tripod, set mirror up + cable release.