http://earthsky.org/tonight/wheres-the-radiant-point-for-the-perseids

Don't be like me and wonder if that 3AM Sat. is Saturday... yes it is, (or no it's not?) go out after Midnight on FRIDAY, which is Saturday 3AM.  Starting at Midnight and getting more active as we head into the debris of Swift-Tuttle. Peak is 50 or more meteorites an hour. More can be seen in the Northern hemisphere and more if you have a place with less light pollution.

Here's where to look. What it means is, when you see a meteorite, and track back towards where it came from, this is it. You may find them streaking across the sky far from this point, but the direction of travel is from this point of origin.


Cassiopeia is bright, a Big W (hmm, remember Mad Mad Mad Mad World?) look under the big "W".

Here's my local - Friday Night partly cloudy Low of 55F. Winds from the West at 5 to 20 mph shifting to the NW after midnight.
Saturday Clear. High of 82F. Winds from the NNW at 10 to 15 mph. So I have a chance that it will clear up in the late evening.

If anyone gets a good meteorite shot I want a personal thank you note for sending this reminder. 

In honor of the annual event, best show of the year, I'm mounting the used 10-D I just picked up, on a 127mm telescope. Just found the mount on eBay, last week, for $49 which was the best price I've ever seen for a T2 to EOS, the adapter tube and eyepiece holder. Daylight test shot shows how I can get an example of bad CA any time I want.    If it was playing music, the telescope, through and eyepiece, and the adapter is a 78 and our cameras are CDs. I suspect I won't be getting any stills for Micro out of this session.


They're Out There!

Although I'll probably be shooting a time lapse with a 50mm, the telescope will be for fun. I'm imagining what if I catch one with the scope, big and close up? (what if I find a needle in a haystack?)

Crop camera 8-10 seconds before you start to get streaks from star trails, Max. on a full frame is 12 seconds. And here's on right out of my personal note book... 1 hour exposure = 15 degrees of arc. (which is nothing but pure voodoo, or maybe simple math?) 360 degrees, divided by 24 hours = 15 well that's not so amazing anymore is it? How about this, 1/4 of a degree of arc every minute.

Have Fun!

Yes, thanks for the reminder.  I look for these most years but usually don't see more than a few - maybe had better try the Retsina first.  It's been cloudy here in Indiana but is clearing now so maybe we will get a show tonight...