Friday May 23rd's Surprise Meteor Shower

[Deleted]

Currently the Clear Sky Chart shows we might get a window for the possible shower (storm?) 

 www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/mays-surprise-meteor-shower/ 

 The CLC currently predicts we'll be very close to the cloud boundary with clouds to the north of us and clear skies to the south.  The transparency prediction isn't that good.  Sky & Tel predicts a narrow meteor shower peak between 23:30 and 01:30 PDT Friday night.  These should be quite slow moving and there could be a chance of fireballs.  This is the first time for this shower so there is so much we don't know about it.

If it is clear try to get out into the dark anywhere.  The darker the better. 

DSD.

[Deleted]

I sure hope that we see some fireworks in the sky tonite
~Phill

[Paul Greenhalgh President]

Tons of phone calls all day today. So I'll be out at the park tonight so that the general public have access to view the meteor shower. Phone calls from all over the lower mainland in fact.
People willing to drive a hour and more just to hopefully see this meteor shower.

Cheers...

[Deleted]

I hope to be there by 11:30

DSD.

[darodger]

I hope you saw something, after going to all that trouble. We were completely clouded out here.

Reading a few posts on Cloudy Nights I see that it was actually a "below average" night for meteors. One reporter said they had seen five meteors in two hours.

The Kohoutek Effect seems to have triumphed once again: ff the news media get hold of an upcoming astronomical event and promote it to the hilt it is bound to be either clouded out or a dud. In time, the general public won't believe a prediction of tomorrow's sunrise time. (See "The boy who cried wolf")

I could be wrong. Perhaps the sky over McDonald Park lit up with meteors.

DAR

[Deleted]

Nothing seen here in Mission last night,and the clouds stayed away till 1:30.
On a side note...nice to see DAR made it to our new forum!
MMc

[darodger]

Thanks, Mark. The new website was a little intimidating, but I overcame my fears and finally plunged in this morning.

I'll post more in the weeks and months ahead, now that we're approaching southwest BC's observing annual "season."

Next step though is to find a rather more appropriate avatar!

DAR

[Deleted]

I got to McD. park at 11:30. Lots of cars parked at playground area turn around before the right turn to head towards our spot. Paul, Stevie and Adrian were already there with a couple others in the dark. Adrian's 5 inch was working nicely.

I sat around looking towards Sumas Mtn. (duh) and once a few had been seen behind me I turned my chair and gazed south-east. It was pretty clear and dark with cloud banks hanging around the horizons. From midnight to 00:50 I saw 5 !!! (oh boy) They were short lived -- maybe 2 to 6 degrees to a streak. They were barely third magnitude, if even.

Thin cloud was edging in from the south. I quit. On my way out there was a fellow with a tiny refractor he'd got for $20. I pointed him towards Saturn and showed him where Albireo was. He thanked me and I kept heading to my car.

Even more cars parked on the road between the gate and the dike. The meteor crowd is a bit unique -- not interested in scopes or other objects. Nice to get out. No bugs yet. Maybe it'll be clear next week.

DSD.