Phil's Astronomy Amateur Page

I really don't know where the time goes. It's definitely true that either the more you're enjoying yourself or the older you are (that's me!), the faster the days seem to speed by.

Anyway, I'm back at work now after autumn half-term - Blackberry Week, we used to call it Up North - and getting back into the busy daily routine. I've even managed to get myself roped into running a bicycle maintenance club on a Tuesday after school, so that's going to be interesting. I don't think the boys are too interested in the maintenance but I'm hoping a project to design and build a power-assisted recumbent trike will prove interesting. Who knows, I might even use it to commute next summer...

Did you watch the Perseid meteors back in August? I have to say that they were as good-as if not better-than last year's show. The weather was pretty good here on 'the mountain', all things considered, though not as warm. I recall last year I was out there in shorts and a tee shirt...

I had the EOS with me but didn't bother too much about getting pictures, so I have nothing but the memories. Interestingly each of the three nights' vigils was heralded by a spectacular fireball heading south-west, which set me up nicely for a couple of hours on the sunlounger each night. It got a bit damp by eleven so covering myself up with the picnic mat was order of the evening and it did the job admirably, keeping me both cosy and dry. A dozen or so meteors later and it was a cup of hot Cadbury's then off to bed to warm my still-thawing body on a lovely warm wife!

It was probably about this time last year that I was looking forward to the Leonids and Orionids showers. Sadly, what a pathetic waste of time they turned out to be. Hyped-up and washed out. If there's anything guaranteed to put someone off astronomy it's an unfulfilled promise of a spectacular meteor show. This year's Orionids (mid October) were bleached out by a bright Moon - well, they would have been if it wasn't mainly cloudy!

Due in a couple of weeks, can I be bothered to keep an eye open for the Leonids, then? Despite last year's poor showing, no doubt I'll be watching out for the space debris from comet Tempel-Tuttle, ever hopeful. If anyone else out there is interested, 17th November is your D-Day. If you can drag yourself out of bed for 04:30hrs, from then until 10:30 (or dawn at least!) is reckoned to be the best 'window' of opportunity. Looking at my planisphere, 04:30hrs puts Leo (the radiant) in the south-east at about 40 degrees elevation, so lying with your feet in that direction and looking straight up is probably your best bet. Make sure you wrap up warm though :o)

You know what, I think I've persuaded myself to make the effort and watch out for these blighters. I'll be dog tired for work that day and I'll probably hate myself if nothing worthwhile comes of it but you know what? That's what astronomy is all about and the pleasure derived when the fireworks do go off, is immeasurable. Yep, let's do it!

With that I'm off to my bed. But not before I take one last look outside!