氣候若是配合的話，灣區民衆周四晚間將可看到壯觀的英仙座流星雨。

金土火星成三角形

　　這場流星雨每年8月發生一次，將自周四晚間開始，一直持續至周五清晨。觀賞流星雨的最佳時間通常是半夜以後，不過天文學家今年預期這場流星雨從頭到尾都會令人嘆為觀止。

　　今年天空上的新月將不會發出強烈光芒，因此整個晚上都可清楚看見流星雨。此外，據屋崙查伯特太空科學中心天文學家布瑞斯（Ben Burress）表示，本周在日落後還可看見天空中的金星、土星和火星連成三角形，水星也會出現於地平線上，是除了看流星雨外的另一件天文奇景。

　　布氏表示，一般很難預料流星雨會在那裡出現，或者會不會顯現斑斕色彩。他將觀看流星雨比喻為淘金，在看到的那一瞬間會令人覺得十分值得。

最佳觀賞地點有四

　　然而，蒙特利的國家氣象局預測，聖荷西及聖他克拉拉預料周四晚間和周五清晨可能被低雲層籠罩，使人無法觀賞到流星雨。氣象局人員建議民眾到內陸去，因為雲層需花較長的時間才會飄到高海拔地區。

　　布瑞斯建議的觀賞地點包括魔鬼山(Mount Diablo)、聖他克魯茲山、漢默頓山 (Mount Hamilton)、索奴瑪地區(Sonoma)、東灣布里昂斯地區公園外圍,以及南灣的亨利柯耶(Henry Coe)州立公園。

(星島日報 2010.8.10)

http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/

2010 Meteor Showers and Viewing Tips

The next meteor shower is the Perseids on the night of August 12. The Moon is just a couple of days past new at the shower's peak, so there will be no moonlight to interfere with the faint meteors. The shower should reach its peak in the hours after midnight (before dawn on August 13), with a maximum of a few dozen meteors visible per hour.
Name Date of Peak Moon
Quadrantids － night of January 3 － Almost Full
Lyrids － nights of April 21/22 －　Sets around 3-4 a.m.
Eta Aquarids － night of May 5-6 － Rises around 3 a.m.
Perseids －　night of August 12 － Sets around 10 p.m.
Orionids － night of October 21 －　Full
Leonids － night of November 17 －　Sets around 4 a.m.
Geminids － night of December 13 －Sets around midnight

NOTES These are approximate times for the Lower 48 states; actual shower times can vary. Bright moonlight makes it difficult to see all but the brightest meteors.

What are meteor showers?

An increase in the number of meteors at a particular time of year is called a meteor shower.

Comets shed the debris that becomes most meteor showers. As comets orbit the Sun, they shed an icy, dusty debris stream along the comet's orbit. If Earth travels through this stream, we will see a meteor shower. Depending on where Earth and the stream meet, meteors appear to fall from a particular place in the sky, maybe within the neighborhood of a constellation.

Meteor showers are named by the constellation from which meteors appear to fall, a spot in the sky astronomers call the radiant. For instance, the radiant for the Leonid meteor shower is located in the constellation Leo. The Perseid meteor shower is so named because meteors appear to fall from a point in the constellation Perseus.

What are shooting stars?

"Shooting stars" and "falling stars" are both names that people have used for many hundreds of years to describe meteors -- intense streaks of light across the night sky caused by small bits of interplanetary rock and debris called meteoroids crashing and burning high in Earth's upper atmosphere. Traveling at thousands of miles an hour, meteoroids quickly ignite in searing friction of the atmosphere, 30 to 80 miles above the ground. Almost all are destroyed in this process; the rare few that survive and hit the ground are known as meteorites.

When a meteor appears, it seems to "shoot" quickly across the sky, and its small size and intense brightness might make you think it is a star. If you're lucky enough to spot a meteorite (a meteor that makes it all the way to the ground), and see where it hits, it's easy to think you just saw a star "fall."

How can I best view a meteor shower?

If you live near a brightly lit city, drive away from the glow of city lights and toward the constellation from which the meteors will appear to radiate.

For example, drive north to view the Leonids. Driving south may lead you to darker skies, but the glow will dominate the northern horizon, where Leo rises. Perseid meteors will appear to "rain" into the atmosphere from the constellation Perseus, which rises in the northeast around 11 p.m. in mid-August.

After you've escaped the city glow, find a dark, secluded spot where oncoming car headlights will not periodically ruin your sensitive night vision. Look for state or city parks or other safe, dark sites.

Once you have settled at your observing spot, lie back or position yourself so 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.

How do I know the sky is dark enough to see meteors?

If you can see each star of the Little Dipper, your eyes have "dark adapted," and your chosen site is probably dark enough. Under these conditions, you will see plenty of meteors.

What should I pack for meteor watching?

Treat meteor watching like you would the 4th of July fireworks. Pack comfortable chairs, bug spray, food and drinks, blankets, plus a red-filtered flashlight for reading maps and charts without ruining your night vision. Binoculars are not necessary. Your eyes will do just fine.

If the weather behaves, Perseids to bathe Bay Area sky in meteors Thursday
By Julie Chang

jchang@mercurynews.com
Posted: 08/09/2010 06:46:33 PM PDT

The Bay Area can expect quite a show on Thursday as the annual Perseid meteor shower illuminates the night sky -- that is, if the weather cooperates.

The meteor shower, which occurs every August, starts Thursday night and continues into Friday morning. Usually, the best time for viewing is after midnight, but this year, astronomers expect that the show will be a must-see from beginning to end.

A crescent moon this year won't provide much competition by lighting up the sky, so the meteor shower will be visible throughout the night. The planets Venus, Saturn and Mars can be seen this week in a triangular alignment shortly after sunset, and Mercury will make an appearance on the horizon, a "special treat" according to astronomer Ben Burress.

"It's exciting to see a meteor even if you have seen them before," said Burress of the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland. "You never know where they're going to be or whether or not they're going to be colorful. It's a little like gold panning. When you see it, you feel rewarded."

But a fair chance of overcast with low clouds in the South Bay on Thursday night and early Friday morning might threaten the show, according to the National Weather Service in Monterey. Weather officials advise meteor watchers to move inland where it will take clouds longer to reach into higher elevations.

Burress' suggestions for optimal viewing include Mount Diablo, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mount Hamilton, the Sonoma area, the outskirts of the Briones Regional Park in the East Bay, and Henry Coe State Park in the South Bay.

Contact Julie Chang at 408-920-5064.

嗯，那明天晚上去 mount hamilton吃晚餐看流星雨好了 =w=

希望天氣允許啊，不然我就去costco了 XD

還沒拍到就被警察掃下山了，這張後製過的照片意思意思一下吧...Orz