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Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: Skywatcher ()
Date: August 01, 2013 08:05AM

Perseid Meteor Shower 2013 Peak: The Show is Just Beginning
Of all the meteor showers way, way out there, the Perseids is a real star.
http://reston.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/perseid-meteor-shower-2013-peak-the-show-is-just-beginning_db60da2e

The Perseid meteor shower 2013 peak doesn't arrive until Aug. 11-12, but the show is already underway.

A favorite of stargazers, 2013 should be a spectacular year, with no pesky moonlight to wash out the streaks.

Want to know what to expect? Get an idea from this video of the Perseid meteor shower. Or check out these pictures of the Perseids.

How spectacular is the show? NASA says Perseid rates can get as high as 100 visible meteors per hour, with many of them appearing not just as bright streaks but as fireballs hurtling through the sky.

The Perseids are the offspring of the comet Swift-Tuttle. We see the meteors when the Earth passes through the comet's orbit and sweeps up some of this debris. We see shooting stars -- rapid streaks of light -- as the tiny rocks encounter the thin upper atmosphere of the Earth and the air is heated to incandescence.

You can see the shower anywhere in the sky, but look toward the southeastern sky to see the meteors at their brightest and longest.

Where to watch? The darker the area the better.

Watch video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDEA2f9pDXs&feature=player_embedded
Attachments:
Perseid_bright_8-12-2012_Stefano_De_Rosa_Italy.jpg

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: derf ()
Date: August 01, 2013 11:53AM

go out to loudon county or better yet, skyline drive.

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: UH7Pd ()
Date: August 01, 2013 12:58PM

derf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> go out to loudon county or better yet, skyline
> drive.


Yep. Somewhere else. Too much light around here. Not that you can't see any but the sky at night is a completely different thing once you get away from the light and haze.

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: stargazer ()
Date: August 01, 2013 02:43PM

Nike Missile Site in Great Falls is a good place. I viewed the Geminids there in December with no issues.

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: Time Machine ()
Date: August 01, 2013 02:47PM

stargazer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nike Missile Site in Great Falls is a good place.
> I viewed the Geminids there in December with no
> issues.

Interesting choice. For those not familiar...

Great Falls Nike Missile Site
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=2091

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: stargazer ()
Date: August 01, 2013 03:02PM

I'm not sure if this is still true, but years ago I was told that it was the darkest place in Fairfax County. Every so often (again, about 10 years ago), some local astronomers used to go out there and set up their telescopes and all. There were a couple other people there during the Geminids as well.

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: svennestle ()
Date: August 01, 2013 04:45PM

are you asking us where to get high?

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: some guy ()
Date: August 01, 2013 04:53PM

http://www.novac.com/wp/outreach/stargaze/

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: bk ()
Date: August 02, 2013 11:56AM

I am going to rent a plane and fly out to the west , skyline or further west , the plane has an awesome bubble canopy and low wings , so that should giv eus a great view if the weather co-operates

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: Science Prof ()
Date: August 02, 2013 01:02PM

The best place to view the meteor shower will almost certainly be the sky. Definitely look up, as you won't see much looking at the ground.

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: Reminder ()
Date: August 12, 2013 08:43AM

Don't forget to look up. Tonight is the last night of the meteor shower.

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: kindful ()
Date: August 12, 2013 03:04PM

Burke Lake.

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Re: Where's the best place in FFX or Northern VA to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August?
Posted by: Da Cleaner ()
Date: August 12, 2013 03:14PM

Science Prof Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The best place to view the meteor shower will
> almost certainly be the sky. Definitely look up,
> as you won't see much looking at the ground.

How do you get to the sky? Driving? Hot air balloon?

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