Does anyone know if i can view the meteor showers tonight in Kent, England?
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answers:
Ronald 7 say: Somewhere without streetlights, like up in a mountain
Tonight is cloudy so it might be better to go up in an airplane
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John P say: "Tonight"? Which night? There is a large chance that some people are reading your question several days after you have posted it.
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ngc7331 say: if you have clear skies and can get away from the light pollution, then yes.
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Clive say: Same as for anywhere - you want a night that isn't cloudy, and to be somewhere away from town and city lights so it is REALLY dark and lots of stars are visible. If you can achieve that, yes you can see meteors.
Being in Kent is a bit irrelevant. Anywhere with a clear and properly dark sky will do. Clear skies are always the problem in England though... it's why nobody bothers setting up big telescopes here. Most of the time they'd be useless. So the Royal Greenwich Observatory moved its telescopes up a mountain in the Canary Islands. The observing conditions are just so much better.
Meteors are visible any night, you just get them more frequently when a known shower is due, but probably still no more than one a minute. So have patience.
The best view of meteors I've ever had was when I was camping in rural Burgundy in France. At Taize, in fact, the religious community that does retreats for young people (young being defined as under 30) - I was a churchgoer at the time. It's nowhere near a town with bright lights, on the edge of a tiny village. They have "barracks" you can stay in for a week, or you can take a tent and they've got space for that. Our church youth group decided to camp. Amazing place... a lot of people know English and a lot of others don't, they come from all over Europe, which gets really frustrating. If only we could talk. I ended up working one morning with a bunch of Spaniards. Could have been difficult but it turned out one of the girls knew some French, so do I, hey, we can communicate and get the job done!
But I digress... I was in my tent well away from any trees to block the view, it was a clear night, and stuck my head out of the tent. Clear nights are colder because clouds provide insulation, but I was snug in my sleeping bag. It's the best way to do it. Flat on your back looking straight up so you don't get an ache in your neck, after 15 minutes your eyes will be properly adapted to the dark (as long as nobody comes past with a torch on their way to the loo), and wait. Suddenly WHOOSH - streak of light across the sky that's gone almost before you notice it. That's a meteor.
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poldi2 say: Sure, any time after midnight from a dark location. Assuming there are no clouds of course.
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Paula say: Yes. You can.
But clear skies are needed.
The meteor shower can be viewed from any place on earth..
You do need a place that is far away from city lights. And preferably where you have a view of the whole sky (not blocked by trees, buildings or mountains etc.
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Sir Caustic say: Not if you're not in Kent, England.
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Elyse Rose say: Get them rain clouds out of there, you will see plenty.
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quantumclaustrophobe say: As long as the weather's clear, and I'd recommend you get as far from city lights as possible; then, you should be able to see the shower.
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Ghost Of Christmas Past say: Only if you can find a spot where there's no cloud or fog and where there is no electric lighting.
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