From Space to Cyberspace: A New Way to Watch a Meteor Shower

The meteor shower that occurred early this morning was not only all over the sky, but all over Twitter.  Star gazers tweeted their reactions and thoughts on the event using the hashtag #meteorshower.  The responses were varied: some people very disappointed with the show, complaining that they stayed up late for nothing.  Others were very impressed.  One user tweeted “Staying up late to watch the #meteorshower makes everything ever seem worth it.”

Most users referenced an article from the LA Times Travel Section in their tweet, since the article directed people to use this hashtag.  It also recommended using the Twitter Search “Orionids.”  

While American Amateur Astronomers (or just plain star gazers) are making strides to connect to the public and share their experiences with other watchers, one British group has developed their Twitter usage to include video footage and photographs  in their meteor shower watching.  The Newbury Astronomical Society (NAS) has made Twitter a central part of their membership activities, using the social network as a form of communication between members, as well as the public.  The group succesfully tweeted their way through the Perseid meteor shower this summer, and has plans to tweet about two upcoming events: the 2nd Moonwatch at the end of October, and the Geminid meteor shower in December.  A great benefit is that enthusiasts can take questions, or simply have discussions over the Internet using Twitter.  It reminds me of some of the examples seen in Chris Anderson’s book “The Long Tail” we recently read.  Because of social media, amateur astronomers have access to display their thoughts and footage from the meteor shower now, not just professionals.  And anyone can view this footage.  You don’t have to be in a classroom, or at a space convention: you can simply sit at your computer and see everything- even if you missed the metorshower.  

This YouTube video illustrates exactly what the NAS is aiming to do, and Dr. Robert Massey from the Royal Astronomical Society explains how Twitter is a great format for discussing and showing footage of the meteor shower:

This very dramatized trailer created by Adrian West of the NAS acts like a movie preview for the two upcoming events that the society plans on covering through Twitter, where “Amateur astronomers and the public will join together” to “Share images, information and knowledge.”  If you can get over the Star Wars-Esc aspect of the trailer, it’s a great video for conveying exactly how Social Media sites like Twitter aid public awareness and knowledge: