Busy Sky 8/18/12

[NEOWatcher]

I was out camping this weekend, and it was an interesting Saturday night (skywise).
No pictures or anything, but just something I wanted to share.

Normally, when I go camping, I check heavens-above for anything to watch. Unfortunately, I didn't do that this time. But; that doesn't mean I missed much.
As the group was sitting around watching the satellites, we saw:
1) Many satellites.
2) A flare (according to H-A there was no Iridium flare, but they don't always catch all of them)
I find that interesting because it's very rare to catch one without knowing beforehand.
3) A meteor long enough to say "oooh; that's a long one" and have everyone look up and see it.
4) A meteor that appeared as if it were ejected from a satellite at 90 degrees.
5) Chinese sky lanterns.

I assume there were some leftover perseids. They didn't exactly appear to radiate from perseus, but more like from Lyra or CygnUs travelling due East.

[slang]

Yeah, that's some time looking up that makes you glad you did

2) A flare (according to H-A there was no Iridium flare, but they don't always catch all of them)
I find that interesting because it's very rare to catch one without knowing beforehand.

Define "very"... I see a couple every year just by being outside a couple of times per night for a smoke, and H-A confirms them afterwards. It's amazing how well the "corner of the eye" picks them up in the dark, even if only to see them fade out.

[NEOWatcher]

Define "very"... I see a couple every year just by being outside a couple of times per night for a smoke

I guess it's the noteworthy ones that I'm thinking about. (like -3 or brighter).
The one I saw Saturday had to be at least a -6.
When you are pointing out things to a group, you tend to get "pfft" if it's not interesting enough.

[slang]

I'm still waiting for a chance to be out with a group of gullible people, to tell them that I am in communication with ET and that they have told me when they would arrive, to the second... to have them all alternating between glancing at watches and looking at the exact location in the sky where I told the ET would arrive...

[NEOWatcher]

I'm still waiting for a chance to be out with a group of gullible people, to tell them that I am in communication with ET and that they have told me when they would arrive, to the second... to have them all alternating between glancing at watches and looking at the exact location in the sky where I told the ET would arrive...

I was hoping to try that with the kids when I first latched on to the concept of an Iridium flare. Unfortunately, even the kids didn't fall for it. I guess I'm not convincing enough (or the kids are smarter than me).

[DoggerDan]

My gf and I are headed down south to Gardner in a month to catch some of these fun-filled skyventures with some friends.