Thursday, August 13, 2009

Fancy staying up tonight?

I stumbled upon this information here, which then led me to here.

The knowledge that "Malaysians will be able to sight up to a total of 100 Perseid meteors per hour streaking across the northern sky in the wee hours of Thursday morning" caught my attention.

But the idea of having to be awake at the wee hour of the morning on a week day somehow dampens the interest. "Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Astronomy Atmospheric Science Unit lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Chong Hon Yew said that according to the International Meteor Organisation (IMO). the meteor shower is expected to be best viewed from 1.30am to 4am on Thursday."

I'm not really into astronomy, but the opportunity of observing Allah's magnificent creation with the naked eye is something not to be missed, especially when it is not a frequent occurrence.

How do you observe meteor shower?

If you live near a brightly lit city, drive away from the glow of city lights, if possible.
After you’ve escaped the city lights, find a dark and safety site (or park), where there is lesser oncoming cars to ruin your sensitive night vision or dark adaptation (because of the headlights).

Once you have settled at your observing spot, lay back on ground or a reclining chair so that the horizon appears at the edge of your peripheral vision, with the stars and sky filling your field of view. Meteors will instantly grab your attention as they streak by.

( Stargazer2u )

Wonder if I'll still be able to observe the meteor shower through the bedroom window?

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