• Question: Have you ever seen a shooting star?

    Asked by Alex the lemon man to Julian, Jane, Hugh, Helen, Heather on 13 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Julian Onions

      Julian Onions answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      Yes I’ve seen lots, even managed to photograph one which is very tricky as they always seem to be away from where your camera is pointing.

      The best time to see them is during a meteor storm. There is a great one in August when the nights are warm to sit and watch for them. There are others in Winter, but it gets awfully cold waiting for them.

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      I’ve seen lots, especially when out observing at the telescopes in the Chilean desert! Julian is right, there are some exciting meteor showers through the year, which typically last for about a week, and mean you’re much more likely to see shooting stars. The next one is the Leonids, which peaks on the 17th/18th November. The really famous one is the Perseids, in August each year, when we pass through particles left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids

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