Perseids a wash-out here :grumpy:

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the viewing experience of the Perseid meteor shower, particularly focusing on the visibility conditions during its peak. Participants share their observations and frustrations regarding weather conditions that hindered their ability to see the meteors.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expressed disappointment over missing the Perseids due to bright auroras and cloudy weather, seeking information on others' experiences.
  • Another participant from NW Arkansas reported seeing only two meteors during a brief observation window despite a dark sky.
  • A participant lamented the overcast conditions, humorously demanding a refund for the experience.
  • A participant from central Maine recounted a past experience of witnessing a spectacular bolide during the Perseids, contrasting it with their current disappointment of only seeing northern lights.
  • One participant in Washington noted that cloudy skies would prevent any meteor sightings.
  • A participant mentioned not having seen the night sky in weeks due to persistent cloudy and stormy weather.
  • Another participant humorously noted the dangers of looking outside while driving through dark mountainous areas, implying a missed opportunity for viewing.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the poor viewing conditions for the Perseid meteor shower this year, with multiple accounts of overcast skies and other weather-related issues. However, there is no consensus on the overall experience of the meteor shower, as some share past positive experiences while others express current frustrations.

Contextual Notes

Participants' observations are limited by local weather conditions, and there are varying personal experiences related to past meteor sightings that are not directly comparable to the current year's events.

turbo
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Perseids a wash-out here...

I had hoped to see a nice shower last night - first August in a new house out in the country with DARK skies. Instead I got very bright aurorae, and the rest of the weekend is supposed to be mostly cloudy. How was this year's peak? Did anybody here record high counts?
 
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It was a wash-out here in NW Arkansas. Between 3:00 and 3:30, I only saw 2 against a fairly dark sky.
 
way too overcast here too :cry: I demand a refund!
 
I'm in central Maine in a dark location. Years ago, I was setting up my JSO 5" SCT up and as I was looking down to tighten the wingnuts on the accessory tray, when I saw a shadow of the tripod sweeping across the ground. I looked up in time to see a bright bolide explode into pieces, then the pieces split again and again, like fireworks. It was brilliant and ruined my night vision. As my eyes returned to normal, I saw a bright cloud where the bolide had passed (exactly opposite the expected retina-burn effect!). As I watched this ionized contrail slowly drifted to the east and faded over a period of minutes. I keep hoping to get another Perseid like that... All I got last night was northern lights - blah!
 
cloudy overcast skies here in WA won't be seeing crap
 
I haven't seen the night-sky in weeks. Cloudy, cloudy with T-storms, mostly cloudy, hazy, etc, etc, etc.
 
I saw a dark dark night last night.

Unfortunately i was driving down through the mountains with no street lights so looking outside for more then .005 seconds meant certain death.
 

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